< PreviouslLegislative Update Legislative Update State Rep. Valerie Gaydos represents Pennsylvania’s 44th District. Her office is located at 1005 Beaver Grade Road in Moon Township. Subscribe to her emails at www. repgaydos.com and follow her on Facebook: www. Facebook.com/ RepGaydos. State Rep. Valerie Gaydos Keeping Pennsylvanians’ health- and voter-related information safe People insist on fair elections, but they also want their elected officials to be fair and consistent. In addition, people need their personal information safeguarded and their government to respect their privacy. Recently the Pennsylvania attorney general announced a lawsuit against the Senate committee that recently issued election-related subpoenas. Government should indeed do better in securing our private information, but it should be done across the board and not just for political data. While the subpoena is solely a Senate action in which the House of Representatives is not involved and has no say or influence, there are a couple of things that the general public should note: 1. Much of the information subpoenaed is already publicly available and is often provided to all political parties upon request, including voter names, addresses, counties and history. It is the voter information that candidates get when they knock on your door. 2. The information that is not publicly available (i.e. date of birth and last four digits of Social Security number) is simply used to match voters on different lists who have the same name and/or address. This information confirms a voter is alive, eligible to vote, and not registered multiple times in different districts, counties or precincts. For example, if there are three people named John Smith who are registered to vote at one address, additional data is absolutely needed to determine if they are the same person or there are simply three different generations of Smiths who vote at the same address. In late April, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Insight Global Contact Tracing Company acknowledged that personal health information and details of as many as 72,000 people questioned during contact tracing had been exposed online. This breach had far more confidential information than what is at question in the attorney general’s lawsuit. Whether it is voter information or health records, I would expect our government to safeguard all data equally and not just political data. As such, it is disappointing to see the attorney general pursue action against one but not the other. Legislation that would limit a school board’s temporary emergency powers from up to four years to 60 days passed the House. I voted yes to approve the legislation. Specifically, the legislation, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year and each school year after, will allow a school board to put into operation temporary emergency provisions for 60 days when an emergency results in five consecutive days of being unable to provide in-person instruction. If an extension is necessary after 60 days, it would require another two-thirds vote by the school board and a public hearing. The school board will have 60 days after the initial vote to implement their temporary emergency powers and must provide a written plan to the public with an explanation of why the temporary emergency provisions are necessary and how long they will be in effect. The bill does not impact a school entity’s ability to use Flexible Instruction Days. Bill to amend school board’s emergency powers passes house Recognizing the long recovery ahead in many areas of the state that suffered extensive damage related to Tropical Storm Ida, the state House and Senate approved a resolution extending the governor’s disaster emergency declaration issued Aug. 31. The resolution proposes to extend the declaration through Oct. 27. This is the first time the General Assembly has voted to extend a disaster emergency since voters approved an amendment to the state Constitution limiting a governor’s disaster declarations to a maximum of 21 days. Anything beyond 21 days requires legislative approval. House and Senate adopt resolution extending Hurricane Ida disaster declaration 30 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021 October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 31Your SchoolsYour Schools N Archangel Gabriel School STORIES AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED AGS goes back to school On Aug. 26 and Aug. 27, over 370 students walked through the doors of Archangel Gabriel Catholic School to start the 2021-2022 school year. All were welcomed by many familiar faces and some new ones. Administration, staff and the advisory council worked diligently over the summer to build a plan to keep students safe, educated and fulfilled. While last year AGS students were able to remain in school five days per week for in- person learning with limited extracurriculars, there were still many limitations. This year, AGS is able to safely offer a great deal more in the way of clubs and extracurriculars for students, with the support and dedication of school volunteers and the Parent Teacher Group. AGS is looking forward to another successful and memorable school year for all. AGS welcomes new principal AGS welcomed Dr. Brad Swiger as its new principal at the start of this school year. Swiger was most recently principal at St. James in Sewickley and the dean of instruction and the director of technology at Vincentian Academy and Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. AGS is an extremely strong, faith-filled community with rigorous academic standards. The school has extensive extra-curricular activities and instills important values in each student. AGS looks forward to expanding the school’s reach to more families and Swiger is ready to bring his experience and expertise to build upon the strong foundation and grow the school to the next level. Dr. Brad Swiger Preschool The AGS 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool programs have expanded significantly this year to reach even more school-ready children. After a long quarantine, over 70 eager students are already learning many life skills and getting ready for kindergarten. They are learning their colors, shapes and letters. In addition to all the great academics, they are taking turns, using their manners and showing respect. They also are incorporating prayer into each day and learning to model Christ-like behavior. After just a few weeks, they are already showing how marvelous they are. AGS is extremely excited to mentor each of its preschoolers in order to prepare them for kindergarten. Kindergarten soccer After “kicking” the idea around for some time, AGS was thrilled to be able to offer a special soccer program to kindergarteners this year. At just the start of the program, 13 eager players had already had signed up to participate. With the goal of teaching them basic soccer skills such as passing, shooting, dribbling and being a part of a team that works well together, the young AGS Knights were excited to play. One of the best parts of each practice is when the team circles up after they’re finished, reach their hands into the center of the circle and say “Go Knights.” Thanks goes out to the program’s parent volunteers for ensuring AGS sports thrive. Over 70 children are enrolled in this year’s preschool programs at AGS. AGS principal Dr. Brad Swiger welcomes students back to school in August. AGS held a special soccer program for kindergarteners this year. Read and share stories from Allegheny West Magazine! Current and back issues can be read at AWMagazine.com. Copy the URL from individual pages and then share via email and on social media. 32 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021N Your Schools Your Schools Bishop Canevin’s eighth grade accelerated math and science program From Monday through Friday of each week, eighth-graders who have qualified for the eighth grade accelerated math and science program get to start their day at Bishop Canevin. There, they take advanced courses in biology and Algebra I before heading back to campus for the remainder of their classes. Students qualify for the program based upon their grades, standardized test scores and teacher recommendations. Through the program, they get an early head start both academically and socially for high school. Bishop Canevin has been serving local diocesan grade schools since 1988. The school focuses its efforts on building a strong foundation centered around essential concepts that prepare students for success in all high school settings and future advanced courses earlier in a student’s high school experience. Participation also gives students the opportunity to participate in honors and advanced placement courses earlier in their high school experience. AGS is grateful to be able to partner with other academic institutions and the local community to offer paramount learning opportunities for AGS students. The school is grateful to Bishop Canevin for offering this program and helping to advance the academic excellence of the school. AGS annual festival Over the summer, AGS was able to bring back its annual school festival to the community. For the better part of the past decade, this festival has been a staple in the local community. AGS was ecstatic to bring it back to just about full capacity this year. Thousands of guests came to enjoy games, prizes, food trucks, bingo, raffles, a white elephant sale and fellowship. Those who attended were able to see all of the school’s parent volunteers coming together to support the school, plus our middle school students earning service hours by keeping the games flowing. AGS is looking forward to many more years with its festival, which not only provides vital support to the school but is also a very special tradition of bringing the community together. Students and parent volunteers helped bring back the AGS festival this past summer. These AGS students head to Bishop Canevin each day to take advanced courses in biology and algebra. October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 33Your SchoolsYour Schools N Robinson Township Christian School STORY AND PHOTO SUBMITTED Robinson Township Christian School is delighted to announce the new hire of Mary Kenyon as the school’s new principal. Kenyon was born in western Pennsylvania but has spent the past 28 years serving in the education field in Jackson, Mississippi. Kenyon shared that returning to western Pennsylvania for the new role “felt like coming home.” “Pittsburgh is its own unique place with the three rivers, Steelers fans and a hard work ethic that I remember well,” she said. “Also my extended family is here.” Kenyon’s father, Walter Kenyon, was a local Presbyterian Church in America pastor. He and Mary’s mother raised 11 children and Mary is the second youngest of her siblings. Mary attended Belhaven University, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She has completed the coursework for a doctorate in education and, once she completes her dissertation, she will receive her EdD. During her time in Jackson, Mary worked in the field of education in various ways. She has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels. She has also taught and continues to teach undergraduate and graduate-level education classes for Belhaven University as a college professor. Mary has been responsible for K4- 12th grades at two separate Christian schools in the Jackson area. For the past nine years, she worked in special education, as a lead teacher in a facility for students on the autism spectrum and with behavioral issues. She has also presented educational workshops on several different topics as a seminar speaker. Mary is especially passionate about supporting teachers and their professional development. She is focusing on curriculum in her own doctorate work. Mary was hired by her church, Redeemer Church, in Jackson to start a Christian school and has been instrumental in helping to start three separate Christian schools in the Jackson area. Mary believes that a Christian education at RTCS equips students with the “learning, logic and rhetoric that lead to critical thinking and enables students to be discerning, so they are prepared for life and for service in their communities.” She says, “I love the atmosphere at RTCS. It provides a safe sense of home, where students can be themselves. The students and teaching staff are the best part of RTCS.” RTCS welcomes new principal Mary Kenyon 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021 October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 35Your SchoolsYour Schools N Pittsburgh and Baltimore might be rivals on the football field during a handful of Sundays throughout the fall and winter, but when it comes to providing career training, the two cities have some organizations that couldn’t be better teammates. This past January, Pittsburgh Technical College in Oakdale and the Baltimore-based nonprofit Power52, which was founded by longtime Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, formed a new partnership that will provide career training for at-risk individuals from the Baltimore area. Through the agreement, students who start their training at the Power52 Energy Institute in Baltimore will be able to continue their education at PTC. There, they can earn either a certificate in electrician technology or an Associate of Science in smart building technology. The partnership promises to provide life- changing opportunities to individuals from at-risk and marginalized communities while training a future workforce for sustainable building practices. PTC has joined the partnership as part of its five-year strategic plan, which includes expanding educational access to under-served populations. “At Pittsburgh Technical College, we take great pride in providing all students a clearly defined pathway to fill the middle skills careers that will fuel economic development and rebuild not only our Commonwealth, but neighboring regions as well,” said Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith, president of PTC. “Our partnership with Power52 is the latest example in our commitment to these endeavors and we’re excited to welcome its students into the Pittsburgh community.” This past July, a group of students from the Power52 Energy Institute had the opportunity to visit the PTC campus. Throughout the day, the group got to tour the campus and participate in academic focus groups. They also had an opportunity to meet with financial planners. That evening, the group visited PNC Park for a Pirates game. Among those who visited the campus was Mikal Moore, a 32-year-old Baltimore native who recently completed the solar engineering program at the Power52 Energy Institute. Moore said he would like to study electrical engineering at PTC and also has an interest in design and sustainable building. By completing the Power52 program and then attending PTC, Moore would be trained to take on an advanced position once he graduates, says Cherie Brooks, CEO of the Power52 Foundation. She says that was one of the goals of a new initiative that the nonprofit has started. Called Power Pathways, the effort is what led to the organization’s partnership with PTC. “When I developed the concept of Power52, we never wanted to train individuals to land in entry-level positions,” she says. “So, now we’ve created Power Pathways, which we’ve just rolled out. Power Pathways is powered by these unique relationships with other organizations so that our graduates can continue to grow and learn, thrive, and gain stackable credentials or degrees so they can have additional opportunities.” At PTC, students continuing their education from Power52 will train either in the School of Trades Technology or at the School of Energy and Electronics Technology. Rodney Clark, PTC’s vice president of student affairs and enrollment, said, “Not only will the students from Power52 have access to PTC’s state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, like all of our students they will benefit from our numerous community partners and workforce development resources, including career placement services and internships.” Brooks says that because Power52’s curriculum aligns closely with that of PTC’s, students’ progression to take college-level courses will be a natural one. Students will also bring with them industry-standard credentialing. According to Anthony Johnson, craft instructor for Power52, the organization’s program differs from a union apprenticeship. “We are an accredited company using an accredited curriculum so they don’t have to be in the field for a certain amount of days or months to progress,” he says. “It’s performance- based.” According to information provided by the school, the Power52 Energy Institute is the first Clean Energy Private Career School specializing in solar PV installation to be approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. To learn more about PTC’s programs in the energy sector, visit www.ptcollege.edu. PTC teams to offer life-changing career training STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY ABOVE: Students and instructors from the Power52 Energy Institute in Baltimore, Maryland visited the Pittsburgh Technical College campus at the end of July. BELOW: Students get a tour of a CAD classroom and the Energy Technology Center. PHOTOS BY ETHAN MANSBERGER Cherie Brooks, CEO of the Power52 Foundation (at center), is pictured with Rodney Clark, PTC VP of student affairs and enrollment, and Eileen Steffan, PTC vice president of academic affairs. PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEY 36 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021 October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 3738 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021 The District’s Annual Day of Caring returned this past summer following a one-year, pandemic-related hiatus. Over 120 staff, administrators and school board members volunteered their time on August 21 to help neighbors in need by canvassing over 4,000 homes collecting donated items for the West Allegheny Food Pantry. The generosity of the West Allegheny community was on full display as seven buses were filled with nonperishable food and toiletry items. The District was grateful to once again partner with Monark Student Transportation, Niagara Bottling, Findlay Township, North Fayette Township and Oakdale Borough to make the event a huge success. The effort marked the third Day of Caring that the District had spearheaded. Third Annual Day of Caring supports neighbors in need LEFT FROM TOP: Volunteers gather outside the West Allegheny Food Pantry after unloading donations from buses. District staff, administrators and board members joined police escorts and Monark Transportation drivers before heading out to neighborhoods. Students are greeted by Wilson teachers during the Day of Caring. ABOVE TOP: A high school team of volunteers display the generosity of district families. ABOVE: Thousands of donated items are unloaded and organized by a team of volunteers at the West Allegheny Food Pantry. October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 39Next >