< Previous20 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2023 Each year, teachers at Cornell participate in sustained professional learning opportunities, better known as Learning Pathways. They spend three in-service days and three early dismissal days gaining new knowledge and developing new strategies to incorporate into the classroom. One of the new Learning Pathways offered this year to Cornell teachers, in conjunction with the Consortium for Public Education, is Educators in the Workforce. Educators in the Workforce focuses on educators gaining a deeper understanding of what makes a student “college and career ready.” Teachers gain a deeper understanding of how they can provide students with the necessary experiences to make informed decisions about their future. Teachers spend time in a company environment to connect their area of expertise with employer needs and opportunities, new technologies, and the use of academic skills and knowledge in the 21st-century workplace. During the October in-service day, teachers in the Educators in the Workforce pathway visited the Iron Workers training facility in the Strip District. Teachers learned about the demands of the job and had the opportunity to try walking steel beams and tying together rebar. The Iron Workers offer a paid training program that starts at $21.39 an hour and includes a pension plan, profit sharing and healthcare after 400 hours. More information is available at iwlocal3.com. The teachers are looking forward to future sessions of Educators in the Workforce and plan to highlight different career fields throughout the school year. Teachers learn at iron workers training facility This fall, a group of 20 Cornell High School students, along with high school teachers Larry DiSilvestro and Randy Laue, took a field trip to Station Square. There, they attended an event organized by Riverworks Discovery, which has been hosting informational events in cities since 2011. The program, called Who Works on the River, is designed to teach students about the various careers that exist along waterways, including pay, who is hiring, and what kind of training is required before starting. Students were able to meet professionals and participate in a number of hands-on activities. DiSilvestro felt the trip was valuable and provided information for “a lot of opportunities for students who don’t go on to a trade school or college.” More information about Careers on the River is available through Riverworks Discovery’s website www.riverworksdiscovery.org/. The site includes detailed information on a wide variety of river-based careers. Who works on the river? At a field trip to an event organized by Riverworks Discovery, Cornell students learned about careers available to them along Pittsburgh’s waterways. Cornell teachers visited the Iron Workers training center in Pittsburgh to learn more about the jobs workers in the union perform. Visit www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news #WeAre CornellWinter 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 21 In late September, a group of high school students from social studies teacher Amy Palo’s dual-enrollment government class attended the Eradicate Hate Student Summit at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The Eradicate Hate Global Summit was formed in response to the largest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman motivated by hate ideologies murdered 11 Jewish people and injured others worshiping at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The first Eradicate Hate Global Summit was held in the fall of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 100 speakers from around the globe attended. The second conference, held in September of 2022, attracted more than 260 speakers. Over 1,600 people attended, either in person or virtually. This was the second year that a student summit was held concurrently. In their government classes, students are learning about ways that they can be civically responsible and engaged. During the summit, students met with peers from more than a dozen other school districts. They had the chance to screen the film “Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life” and meet with filmmaker Patrice O’Neill. Survivors and family members of victims from the Tree of Life massacre were in attendance and briefly addressed students as well. Participants were tasked with coming up with an idea for eradicating hate in their own school districts or communities. They were presented with ideas from schools that participated last year, including South Fayette and South Allegheny. From clubs, to welcoming activities and events to celebrate various cultures, groups formed an initial plan. Students then learned that the Grable Foundation will be gifting each group $1,000 to help their plans come to fruition within their communities. Participants will meet back together in February to share what they were able to accomplish with their plans and new funds. Students attend Eradicate Hate event Cornell High School students in French and Spanish II, and College French and Spanish III and IV got a wonderful experience this fall when they were able to see a performance of “Barber of Seville,” as performed by the Pittsburgh Opera. The performance was held at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in the Cultural District in downtown Pittsburgh. The student matinee was an amazing opportunity for Cornell High School students to see a live performance and be introduced to opera while also getting a glimpse into the inner workings of the stage. Many students were repeat customers who had been able attend a previous performance in 2022 of “The Marriage of Figaro.” Thanks to the generosity of the Pittsburgh Opera Academy, the entire trip was free for all students. The Pittsburgh Opera Academy is a free program that is open to educators from all Pennsylvania school districts and surrounding states. The Pittsburgh Opera Academy offers professional development for teachers, creates content that is accessible to students and also supplies teachers with ready-made materials. The academy is run by the director of education for the Pittsburgh Opera, Dr. Marilyn Michalka-Egan. Cornell has been able to see performances and participate since 2014. Cornell is looking forward to attending future performances in the years ahead. High school opera field trip Upper level French and Spanish students visited the Benedum Center for a performance of “Barber of Seville,” as performed by the Pittsburgh Opera. BELOW (FROM LEFT): Cornell seniors Neveah Rice, Samantha Bell and Noah Slinde present at the Eradicate Hate Student Summit. Marissa Crowe and Luis Romero-Ojeda were also part of the team. Students from Cornell visit another district to learn about their ideas. Students from a variety of school districts gather to learn about Cornell’s ideas. RIGHT: Luis sits ready to brainstorm during a working lunch.22 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2023 Just twenty-two educators from across the U.S. were selected to participate in the 2023 Peace Teachers Program this school year, and only one teacher was selected to participate from Pennsylvania. That teacher is Cornell High School social studies teacher Amy Palo. A non-partisan, congressionally funded program, the U.S. Institute of Peace provides teachers with educational resources to teach students about issues surrounding conflicts around the globe. According to the institute’s website, this allows students to “see peace as something practical and possible.” “When I’m teaching history, we’re learning about some heavy stuff,” says Palo. “It can be overwhelming and it can make students feel helpless. How can one person fix all of these problems? I want to convey how we can start small, start at one day out of 365, and build from there.” Palo says she first applied for the program in the spring of 2023 and that she was inspired to do so by the documentary “Day After Peace,” which documents the establishment of Sept. 21 as International Day of Peace. In the documentary, filmmaker Jeremy Gilley asks how the world will ever have 365 days of peace if it can’t even have one. “There are tremendous challenges that Gilley faces in even getting people to know and recognize that this day of peace exists,” says Palo. “For me as a teacher, the process shows how ordinary people can use their talents, in Jeremy’s case it was filmmaking, for good.” Each year, Palo shows the documentary in her world history class. She says students witness the filmmaker’s perseverance as he is humbled, redirects and continues his efforts to raise awareness about International Day of Peace. When she saw the application for the Peace Teachers Program, and it mentioned International Day of Peace recognition as a goal, she says she knew that the program would be a good fit for her class. “Overall, as a social studies teacher I am tasked with sending knowledgeable, responsible, and active citizens out into the world,” she says. “I’m hoping that the skills I learn over the course of this program will help me meet that ultimate goal.” Throughout the school year, Palo and other teachers will have access to online coursework. They’ll develop action plans and be able to share their experiences with other teachers in their cohort. They’ll use their training to educate students about international conflict and solutions to conflict in ways that align with their class curriculum. In Palo’s class, students are currently studying the Cold War and will be conducting a simulation of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students will discuss how President John F. Kennedy and his advisors were able to avoid war in a situation where war seemed inevitable. Through that and other exercises, students will gain a better understanding of both historic and current conflicts around the globe and the complexities inherent to each. Palo selected for 2023 Peace Teachers Program Amy Palo Next year, Cornell High School senior Luis Romero-Ojeda intends to start his first semester of college and begin studying to become an architectural engineer. He’s not sure exactly which college he’ll choose yet, but he has already been accepted to Penn State University and is planning to apply to a number of other top schools for math and science in the region. The transition to college will be significant, even for Romero- Ojeda, who is a National Honor Society member and enrolled in upper-level math, science and government courses at Cornell. In order to better prepare himself for the jump, Romero-Ojeda applied to a summer program hosted by Carnegie Mellon University and attended this past summer. Taught by renown CMU faculty members, the university’s Summer Academy for Math and Science allows students to pursue STEM disciplines through a combination of traditional classroom instruction and hands-on projects. According to CMU’s website, the SAMS program is directed at underrepresented communities. It aims to develop a community of scholars interested in attending top-tier universities while strengthening an interest in STEM disciplines and broadening horizons. Over the course of five weeks, Romero-Ojeda and the rest of his cohort completed a number of rigorous, college-level courses. They completed a graph theory course and an engineering course where students constructed a rotating table for the purpose of taking pictures of an object from multiple angles in order to create a 3D model. They also completed a chemistry course, where they learned about unit conversion and conducted experiments. In a writing course, students wrote a paper for school. Throughout the program, students took two classes every day and switched daily. By the end of it, Romero-Ojeda and other students in the program got to experience some of what it will be like when they head off to college next year. As Romero-Ojeda points out, the experience wasn’t all about academics. “In all honesty, the classes were not the best part, the best part was all the people that I got to meet,” he says. “They made those five weeks feel like five days. By the end I was starting to blend the days.” An accomplished student, Romero-Ojeda is currently taking college government and politics, physics, personal finance, calculus, AP English literature, and chemistry. In addition to being a member of NHS, Romero-Ojeda is also a member of the Spanish club, Spanish honors society and student council. A top Cornell student gets an early taste of college Luis Romero-Ojeda Luis Romero-Ojeda was part of this cohort of students at the CMU SAMS program this past summer.Winter 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 23 The Cornell Raider football team might be small, but they certainly are mighty. The WPIAL Class 1A team shares players in a cooperative agreement with neighboring school Nazareth Prep and is entering its eighth season together. Football is a sport that brings everyone from the communities of Neville Island and Coraopolis together on a Friday night, under the lights, rain or shine. Raider fans show up not only for the games but for a cause that goes beyond the field, a new initiative that has evolved into Friday Feedings. Friday Feedings started last season when Cornell head football coach Ed Dawson and Cornell School District administrators had a conversation about what teachers and staff could do to contribute to the team. Dawson’s answer was simple: “feed us.” On Fridays, he continued, “It’s a long time between lunch and kick-off and our guys need to eat.” Since then, school personnel, local businesses, passionate individuals and even alumni of Cornell have contributed to Friday Feedings. The success of this endeavor has been a testament to the generosity and caring nature of the community. The impact extends beyond just athletes. It fosters a sense of togetherness and pride. Any individual or business interested in joining the Friday Feedings family can contact Carla Antoniades at: cantoniades@cornellsd.org or (412) 264-5010 x 1113. A special “thank you” goes out to Brewer Airport Toyota for their very generous donation to the Cornell Raider softball and football teams. Brewer Airport Toyota has been a great partner of the Cornell School District and their continued generosity is appreciated. In addition to the donation to the softball and football teams, Brewer Airport Toyota donated gift cards to be included in the Friday night 50/50 drawings. Thank you to Brewer Airport Toyota for your continued support and generosity to Cornell School District! Community rallies around Raiders Toyota donates to Cornell athletics In October of this school year, Cornell High School began partnering with Adagio Health in order to provide eighth grade students with an opportunity to build their levels of social- emotional skill, develop a positive outlook on their personal health and wellness, and discover ways of engaging with the community to make a difference not only in their lives, but in the lives of others. This opportunity, known as the Teen Outreach Program, provides students with tools to strengthen their social-emotional skills, develop positive relationships and avoid risky behaviors. Students work with TOP facilitators once a week and participate in engaging and interactive lessons focused on topics such as decision making, problem solving and goal setting, to name a few. Research shows that teens who participate in this program over the course of a school year demonstrated academic growth and improvement as well as a decrease in risky behaviors. Adagio Health, the TOP program and the University of Pittsburgh are providing students with this opportunity. Thus far, Cornell has received tremendous feedback from students and looks forward to seeing the positive impact it continues to have on them. Students participate in Teen Outreach Program Cornell Teachers & Staff Anita Kulik • Michael Dixon Mr. & Mrs. Bill Sacco Randon & Kelly Willard Michele Santicola Tiffany Battaglini Yianni & Carla Antoniades Eddie & Bernadette DeCaria Cornell athletic director Bill Sacco (left) and head football coach Ed Dawson (right) accept a check for the softball and football teams from Brewer Airport Toyota. Community volunteers help prepare meals for Raiders football players for the Friday Feedings effort. Thank You to the sponsors of Friday Feedings:24 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2023 Cornell has been working with The Challenge Program to collaborate with a local business to provide experience and education to students. The Challenge Program is a motivational high school program for all students in grades 10, 11 and 12 that helps encourage students to succeed in school and in their future careers. Cornell’s business partner is ARLANXEO, which is located in Moon Township and is a world leader in synthetic elastomers. 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 educators 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 and works with TCP to challenge students to reach high and achieve more in five categories linked to academic and career success. Challenge Program award winners announced Challenge Program 2022-2023 Winners Attendance Max Code Noah Slinde STEM Andrew Hummel Geoffrey Collington Community Service Yasmine Alvarado Garcia Alexandra (Sasha) Cucu Academic Improvement Kelsey Hill Luis Romero-Ojeda Academic Excellence Sage Ospina Marissa Crowe Junior high English teacher Morgan Harouse and science teacher Amanda Sappie are having a busy first semester. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, the two teachers have agreed to participate in an out-of-school learning experience involving the BUILD Program. The BUILD Program serves students and teachers from across the country, including New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Harouse learned about the program through her work at a Penn State University summer camp. The BUILD Program focuses on project-based learning for students and aims to give teachers additional tools to increase student engagement. The two teachers were excited to attend a kick-off meeting earlier this fall and are looking forward to the continued learning that will happen throughout the school year. There are several project-based learning ideas teachers can incorporate into their classrooms. Harouse said, “My favorite part about the program so far is learning about human design challenges that will help the students develop problem-solving skills and strategies. I genuinely feel this will help give students a voice and will lead to success.” Sappie said, “My favorite thing about the program so far is that we’ve been learning new and innovative ways to incorporate human-centered design in our classrooms and encourage entrepreneurship and real-life, relevant skills.” These two wonderful educators are going the extra mile and expanding their knowledge and skills in order to impact their students in a positive way. Teachers participate in Build Fellowship This Year’s Awardees Cornell teachers were asked to rank and choose the top students in 11th and 12th grades for their accomplishments in the prior school year in the program’s following categories: attendance (the students with the least number of absences), STEM (the top students in science, technology, engineering and math classes), community service (students who exhibit outstanding contributions to society), academic improvement (students who have shown the most improvement academically in the last year) and academic excellence (the students with the highest overall GPA). The winners of the awards were given a check for $200 and a certificate of accomplishment. Congratulations to the awardees. These students were chosen as winners of last year’s Challenge Program. For their names and awards, see at right. Teachers Morgan Harouse and Amanda Sappie are participating in the BUILD Program, a national cooperative effort that focuses on project-based learning. Winter 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 2526 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2023 ArithmeRaiders encourages learning with fun activities The Cornell Elementary School math club, the ArithmeRaiders, is back in full swing! Students have been meeting weekly during breakfast or lunch and working diligently since the middle of September on math skills, fun puzzles and games like Sudoku, Proof!, 24 Challenge and Solve Me Mobiles. Each teacher has assigned independent work on a variety of academic levels for students to complete on their own time. This provides an opportunity for a wider range of students to participate in the club, offering extra support or enrichment, as needed. As a reward for their hard work and consistent participation, students in third through sixth grades attended a breakfast party where they ate, socialized and painted their own mini canvases. Sixth grade students Ketlyn Dionisio and Addyson Cuthbert reported that ArithmeRaiders is a ton of fun, and that they love being rewarded for their efforts. The MATH-tastic teachers have more fun rewards planned throughout the year. Pumpkin pie slime is up next, and they are always welcoming new ArithmeRaiders. Mrs. Karen Murphy - President Mr. Michael Engel Jr. - Vice President Mrs. Darlene Abbott - Treasurer Mr. Mark Cavicchia Mr. Michael Griffith Mrs. Caryn Code Mr. Scott Spencer Ms. Mary Merryman Mrs. Catherine Cocco *Mr. Patrick Berdine - Secretary *Ms. Trish Andrews - Solicitor - non-board member* Cornell School District 1099 Maple Street • Coraopolis, PA 15108 www.cornellsd.org Dr. Aaron Thomas Superintendent athomas@cornellsd.org (412) 264-5010, ext. 120 Dr. Doug Szokoly High School Principal dszokoly@cornellsd.org (412) 264-5010, ext. 104 Jeffrey Carter Elementary School Principal jcarter@cornellsd.org, (412) 264-5010, ext. 241 Carla Antoniades Director of Pupil Services cantoniades@cornellsd.org Dr. Kris Hupp Director of Technology & Instructional Innovation khupp@cornellsd.org Patrick Berdine Business Manager Cornell School District Board of Directors Elementary classrooms collected excess Halloween candy that will be shipped to troops serving on active duty. ABOVE AND BELOW: Students in the ArithmeRaiders math club practice mathematics concepts while working on challenges, games and more. Treats for Troops Cornell Elementary fifth and sixth grade teacher Jamie Chambers started a service project a few years ago that was a huge hit. Chambers began working with the organization Soldiers Angels to collect excess Halloween candy that families amass and then send that candy to troops who are actively serving. The national nonprofit organization provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families, and a growing veteran population. The small service project has grown in popularity among Cornell students and staff. It’s become fun to see how much candy is sent to troops each fall after the conclusion of Halloween. This project also allows students to learn more about the sacrifice military personnel make while teaching them about the power of service to others. Winter 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 27 Cornell welcomes new speech teacher Cornell officially hired a new speech and language teacher over the summer. Even though she is officially new, she is very familiar with Cornell and students are familiar with her. Jackie Scheller served as a long-term speech and language substitute last school year when Mrs. Sefick was on maternity leave. That position officially became open in the summer, and Cornell School District was happy to offer the position, full-time, to Scheller. Scheller received her undergraduate degree in communication science and disorders from the University of Pittsburgh. From there, she continued her education at Clarion University, where she received her master’s degree in speech language pathology. She did an unbelievable job last year and her transition was seamless to start the school year. Scheller said that the faculty, staff and students at Cornell have made her feel very welcome, and that “my favorite thing about Cornell is the relationships I’ve built in such a short time. My students genuinely brighten my day and watching them make progress is rewarding for me!” Scheller got married after her first week at Cornell last year. She now resides in Pittsburgh with her husband and stepdaughter. When she isn’t in the classroom, she enjoys reading, cooking and traveling. Cornell Elementary has started a Wisdom Wall this year and, when asked what words of wisdom she would like to share with students, Scheller replied, “Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.” Jackie Scheller Cornell Elementary held a traditional Halloween parade on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 26. The elementary Halloween parade is a tradition at Cornell and loved by students, faculty members and parents, who were invited to come up to the school and choose a spot outside the building to watch. Students marched around the building in their Halloween costumes with the Cornell Raider marching band, which was led by Cornell band director Bill Lamb, leading the way with festive music. Following the parade, each classroom enjoyed a small celebration with activities and treats. It was a fun event for everyone involved and this year was no exception! Students enjoy fall festivities As is tradition, elementary students once again donned their costumes and paraded in celebration of Halloween. Through a generous donation from Spokane Orthodontics, all students in grade six received an elementary yearbook for the 2022-2023 school year at no cost. Current seventh-graders received their yearbooks in early September. Current elementary students in grades one through six who purchased a yearbook last year also received one in early September. These students were invited to a “signing” party where they were able to view their new yearbooks and sign other classmates’ books if they so chose. Cornell Elementary Yearbooks for the 2023-2024 school year will be on sale in the spring and are always delivered in early September of the following year. Students receive elementary yearbooks Students enjoyed a signing party where they could write messages to their classmates in each other’s yearbooks. Visit www.cornellsd.org for the latest district news #WeAre Cornell28 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2023 Cornell Winter Sports Schedules Swimming Dec. 7 - vs Central Valley - 6 p.m. Dec. 14 - @ Northgate - 4 p.m. Dec. 19 - vs Hopewell - 6 p.m. Jan. 4 - vs Seton LaSalle at Keystone Oaks - 6 p.m. Jan. 9 - vs Beaver Falls - 6 p.m. Jan. 11 - @ Montour - 6 p.m. Jan. 18 - vs Ellis (Girls Only) - 6 p.m. Jan. 25 - vs Beaver - 6 p.m. Feb. 1 - vs Keystone Oaks - 6 p.m. Feb. 8 - @ Chartiers Valley - 6 p.m. Feb. 13 - vs Carlynton - 6 p.m. Feb. 17 - MAC at Moon - 10 a.m. Boys Varsity Basketball Dec. 1 - vs Urban Pathways - 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5 - vs. Sewickley Academy - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 - vs. Perry Traditional - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 - @ Propel Montour - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 - @ Northgate - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 - vs Winchester Thurston - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 - vs Springdale - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22 - vs Brashear - 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28 - vs Hillel Academy - 6:30 p.m. Jan. 3 - vs Rochester - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 - @ Union - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 - @ Avella - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 - vs Western Beaver - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 - @ Carlynton - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 - vs Environmental Charter - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23 - @ Riverside - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 - @ Rochester - 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 - vs Union - 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 - vs Avella - 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 - @ Western Beaver - 7 p.m. Feb. 9 - vs Carlynton - 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 - @ Freedom - 7:30 p.m. Boys Middle School Basketball Dec. 14 - vs Brentwood - 3:30 p.m. Dec. 18 - @ Keystone Oaks - 3:30 p.m. Dec. 21 - @ Northgate - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 3 - @ Sto-Rox - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 4 - vs Southside Beaver - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 9 - @ Ambridge - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 11 - vs Freedom - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 16 - @ Ft. Cherry - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 18 - vs Eden - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 23 - @ Brentwood 3:30 p.m. Jan. 25 - vs Keystone Oaks - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 29 - vs Northgate - 3:30 p.m. Jan. 31 - vs Sto-Rox - 3:30 p.m. Feb. 1 - @ Southside Beaver - 3:30 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Basketball Dec. 5 - vs Sewickley Academy - 6 p.m. Dec. 7 - vs Perry Traditional - 6 p.m. Dec. 12 - @ Northgate - 6 p.m. Dec. 15 - vs Winchester Thurston - 6 p.m. Dec. 19 - vs Springdale - 6 p.m. Dec. 22 - vs Brashear - 6 p.m. Jan. 3 - vs Rochester - 6 p.m. Jan. 5 - @ Union - 6 p.m. Jan. 9 - @ Avella - 6 p.m. Jan. 12 - vs Western Beaver - 6 p.m. Jan. 16 - @ Carlynton - 6 p.m. Jan. 19 - vs Environmental Charter - 6 p.m. Jan. 23 - @ Riverside - 6 p.m. Jan. 26 - @ Rochester - 6 p.m. Jan. 30 - vs Union - 6 p.m. Feb. 2 - vs Avella - 6 p.m. Feb. 6 - @ Western Beaver - 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9 - vs Carlynton - 6 p.m. Feb. 12 - @ Freedom - 6 p.m.; On the Horizon On the Horizon Winter 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 29 AreaHolidayHappenings Christmas Light Up Celebration in Clinton, through Jan. 7, 5-10 p.m. daily (includes holidays), Clinton Park: 600 Clinton Park Drive in Imperial, vehicle travel only, $10/vehicle (cash only), scenic drive through Clinton Park’s woodlands section featuring hundreds of lighted decorations, all-volunteer effort benefits local charities, Facebook: @ChristmasLightUpCelebration. Dazzling Nights, select dates Nov. 24-Jan 1, 5:30-9 p.m., Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, 799 Pinkerton Run Rd., holiday light- up event with interactive exhibits, walk-through event, purchase tickets ahead of time at: www.dazzlingpittsburgh.com. Hozak Farms Cut-Your-Own Christmas Trees, Nov. 24-Dec. 23, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, take a tractor ride and cut your own tree, saws provided, tree shaking and baling, www.hozakfarms.com. Sweetwater Center for the Arts Holiday Market, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, sweetwaterartcenter.org. Robinson’s Christmas Light-Up Night, Dec. 1, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Clever Park, magical evening with holiday lights, visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, fireworks, townshipofrobinson.com/special- events/. Coraopolis 52nd Annual Living Nativity, Dec. 1, 7-9 p.m., Presbyterian Church of Coraopolis, 1201 Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis, free event, volunteers dress in character with live animals while carillon plays Christmas music, (412) 264-0470. Moon Lights Holiday Festival, Dec. 2, 5-7:30 p.m., Moon Park, performances, food trucks, craft vendors, games, visit from Santa at 5:30 p.m., tree lighting, www.moonparks.org. Moon Holiday Lights Drive-Thru, Dec. 2-Jan. 7, Moon Park, enjoy over 20 light displays placed throughout the park, free, www.moonparks.org. Moon Township Garden Club Holiday Greens and Gift Shoppe, Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Robin Hill Center, wreaths, garlands, swags, mailbox covers, centerpieces, birdseed wreaths, homemade cookies, handcrafted signs, unique greeting cards, pet items, gift baskets, garden decorations, live plants, benefits garden club philanthropies, coincides with West Hills Art League Cash and Carry Show (see next listing), moontownshipgardenclub.com. West Hills Art League $55 Cash and Carry Show, Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Robin Hill Carriage House, westhillsartleague. com. Crafton Celebration of Lights, Dec. 2, Crafton Park, kids’ crafts, holiday music, pictures with Santa, details TBA, www. craftonborough.com/parks-recreation. Christmas in Coraopolis, Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., VFW Post 402, 412 Mulberry Street in Coraopolis, cookie sale, children’s activities, letters to Santa, holiday family photos, visit from Santa, hosted by Coraopolis United Methodist Church, 12 cookies for $10 or 60 for $45, cash or check, preorder at www.coraopolisumc. org through Nov. 18. Janoski’s Christmas Festival Open House, Dec. 2 and 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visit with Santa, hayrides, animals, cookie decorating, giveaways, home-grown poinsettias, giveaways, fees may apply, janoskis.com. Alina’s Light Christmas Lunch with Santa, Dec. 3, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Montour High School cafeteria, pictures with Santa, dancing, princesses and superheroes, Santa, gifts, catered pasta lunch, raffle baskets, benefits Alina’s Light, www.alinaslight.com. Allegheny County Holiday Laser Show, Dec. 8-23, North Park Swimming Pool Parking Lot, visit AlleghenyCounty.US/ LaserShow for tickets and times, see page 2 for QR code. “The Nutcracker” Performances, two weekends: Dec. 9, 10, 16, 17, Saturdays, 7 p.m., Sundays, 2 p.m.,Carnegie Music Hall in Carnegie, $22/adults, $20/students and children, purchase tickets online or up to one hour prior to performance, www. carnegieperformingartscenter.com. St. Matrona Ladies’ Society Cookie Walk, Dec 9, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (or until sold out), Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church Hall in Carnegie, 220 Mansfield Blvd., Eastern European holiday cookies, homemade nut rolls, gluten-free cookies, most sold by pound, smladiessociety@gmail.com. West Hills Symphonic Band Holiday Concert: “Holiday Hearts Aglow,” Dec. 10, 3 p.m., Montour High School, traditional and creative treatments of familiar holiday favorites, pieces include: “Mary’s Little Boy Child,” Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven,” 1940s big-band style piece titled “Hark! Those Jingle Bells are Smokin’,” “Eighth Candle” in honor of Hanukkah, Christmas ‘Pops’ Singalong, “Sleigh Ride,” free concert, donations accepted, www.whsb.org. Christmas in Crafton House Tour, Dec. 10, 1-6 p.m., self-guided tour of Crafton’s beautifully decorated homes and 150-year-old Nativity Church, $25, purchase tickets at Crafton Public Library, Blue Snail Gift Shop, Crafton Administrative Office, www.craftonborough.com/parks-recreation. Moon Area Band Pancake Breakfast and Cookie Walk, Dec. 17, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Moon Area High School Cafeteria, $10 pre-sale/$12 at the door, ages 2 and under free, cookies $12 per container or two for $20, www.moonarea.net. All events subject to change. Please reference the contact information provided for the most up-to-date details. Next >