December2017

Partners

with Gateway Middle School

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Growing at EvergreenPage 4

Health Care ChatsPage 9

World Affairs InstitutePage 14

LeadershipScholarship

Sportsmanship

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Google

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U.S. News & World Report published the 2017 Best High Schools

rankings. More than 6,000 schools were awarded medals in this year’s national

rankings. Gateway High School once again was featured as one of the top high

schools in the country, as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

More information can be found by accessing the following link:

usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/pennsylvania/districts/gateway-sd/gateway-senior-high-school-16980

Pennsylvania School Performance Profile released their 2017

results and Gateway High School jumped from #10 in Allegheny County to

#6 out of 120 High Schools. In Western Pennsylvania, Gateway ranked #12 out of

190 High Schools. Along with the outstanding achievement of our High School,

University Park Elementary and Ramsey Elementary were #1 and #2 in growth

from 2016 to 2017 within Allegheny County!

Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and

millions of opinions from students and parents. Gateway School District received

the following rankings on Niche.com:

• Most Diverse School Districts in Pennsylvania — #12 of 497

• Best Places to Teach in Pennsylvania — #79 of 497

• Best School Districts in Pennsylvania — #100 of 497

More information can be found by accessing the following link:

niche.com/k12/d/gateway-school-district-pa/#about

WalletHub has released its list of 2017’s Best Small Cities in America with

several communities near Pittsburgh included on the list. Monroeville ranked #78 in

the Country for “Best Small Cities in America” to live. Education is listed within the

formula for rankings.

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Awards and Recognition

December 2017

Google Partnerswith Gateway Middle School

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Welcome to the first edition of The GateWay to Education. Gateway School District is committed to highlighting the community’s investment in the successes of its schools and children. Over the past two years, a series of public relation efforts have been launched to promote the accomplishments of our District, which is comprised of Monroeville and Pitcairn. In addition to the launch of a new webpage last year, this quarterly magazine will be distributed to all stakeholders, creating a window by which to view the many learning opportunities within our schools and to celebrate our students and staff, while showcasing their accomplishments as they strive for the excellence in education that Gateway Schools provide. I hope everyone has the opportunity to view The GateWay to Education’s first edition and to recognize the powerful impact that great schools have upon their communities. I would like to acknowledge the generous efforts of our school board members, administrators, staff, and volunteers who work to ensure that we deliver on those expectations for our children.

Thank you for your support!Dr. William Short, Superintendent

Gateway Middle School has been selected to participate in a pilot project developed by Google, Digital Promise and EdTechTeam. The Dynamic Learning Project is designed to assist schools with infusing technology into classrooms in meaningful and transformative ways. Gateway Middle School is one of 50 schools nationwide selected to participate in this innovative project.

In July of 2017, Rocco Telli, Principal of Gateway MiddleSchool, and Jessica Whetstone, the newly appointed Instructional Technology Coach at Gateway Middle School, traveled to Mountain View, CA to participate in a week-long training at Google headquarters.

Mr. Telli worked with other participating school administrators to develop a plan to address the technology divide that exists in schools and to create a plan for implementation with the school’s instructional coach. Mrs. Whetstone collaborated with other instructional coaches and received specific training on the instructional coaching model, as well on technology resources applicable to the classroom.

Both Mr. Telli and Mrs. Whetstone are now part of a nationwide network of like-minded educators who are working intensely on redefining the learning environment for students across the country. Google, Digital Promise and EdTechTeam have provided funding, mentors and support resources to ensure this endeavor is successful. The staff at Gateway Middle School looks forward to providing updates related to this incredible partnership and how we are using technology to transform the learning experiences of our students.

More information can be found by accessing thefollowing links: digitalpromise.org/initiative/dynamic-learning-project

blog.google/topics/education/dynamic-learning-project-helping-deliver-promise-tech-classroom

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This is How We Grow at Evergreen!Evergreen Elementary School is excited to announced

the school has been chosen as one of the newest

recipients of a Learning Garden grant through the

generosity of Grow Pittsburgh and The Kitchen

Community. The two organizations have partnered to

provide gardens to schools in the Pittsburgh area with

minimal green (growing) space and where direct access

to a garden and opportunities to grow healthy foods

may be limited. In addition to the garden beds, the grant

provides two years of direct support and educational

programming from Grow Pittsburgh.

The Learning Garden, comprised of large, curved, raised

beds and seating for students, serves as an outdoor

garden classroom and is located in a 10’x20’ asphalt

space within the school’s playground area. Such

accessibility allows students to interact with and

observe their garden’s growth each day. Students have

the opportunity to volunteer with watering and plant

care during recess or participate more formally in

curriculum taught by Evergreen teachers and Grow

Pittsburgh staff with support from parent volunteers.

Installation of the Learning Garden beds occurred during

the summer 2017 break. When students returned in the

fall, a celebration of the new garden space kicked off the

cool-weather planting season. Students participated in

everything from emptying bags of soil into the raised

beds, to planting and watering, to learning about what

different seeds look like and what plants need to grow.

Peas, radishes, beets, lettuce, carrots, spinach and

herbs were harvested by the students, who will have an

opportunity to use those ingredients to prepare and eat

a salad together. Additional lessons in composting, seed

saving and cooking with school garden vegetables are

planned for the fall.

The mission of Evergreen’s Learning Garden is two-fold:

to teach students how to grow their own food and to

encourage healthy food choices by involving students

in preparing and eating all of the food they grow. The

garden provides a way to emphasize generosity and

community awareness by having students donate a

portion of the crops to local food banks. The school

hopes to expand garden production to incorporate

the grown vegetables into school lunches, as well as

offer more food back to the Monroeville community.

Evergreen Elementary School always welcomes

individuals or organizations willing to help make those

goals a reality.

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December 2017

Moss Side Middle School is fostering a love of life-long

learning with the assistance of Alliance Therapy Dogs

(ATD). Each quarter, several dogs from ATD visit the

classrooms of students who have earned the privilege

of spending quality one-on-one time with a canine pal.

During their special sessions, students interact with

trained therapy dogs in a number of ways – from petting

the dogs, to learning about their characteristics, to

reading with their pawed partners.

Working with the therapy dogs has many benefits in

preparing our students for the future. Reading to the

dogs provides positive motivation for learning, builds

joy and excitement, and has a positive, calming effect

on students. For struggling readers, the interaction

improves reading skills while decreasing pressure and

embarrassment, therefore improving self-esteem and

socialization.

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Middle School Students Benefit from Working with Therapy Dogs

Middle School Students Build Scribble Bots

The Monroeville Public Library Outreach Program visited the classroom of Mrs. Amanda Stravers at Moss Side Middle School. The students built Scribble Bots using trial-and-error techniques with problem-solving skills, then made a work of art with their original robot creation. Later, the students utilized the scribble masterpiece as a catalyst to create an imaginative personal narrative.

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Elementary Students Study the Moon, Constitution and

GeographyThird-grade students from University ParkElementary School have been learning about the moon’s orbit around Earth and the different phases they see in the night sky throughout the month. Mrs. Mueller incorporated technology into the unit using the iMotion app to create stop-motion videos. It was exciting to see the enthusiasm for the project and the teamwork that took place in the classroom.

Also, third-grade students from University Park Elementary School completed a unit about the Constitution for Constitution Day on September 17. As a culminating project, third-grade students analyzed the Preamble of the Constitution, putting each phrase into their own words. As part of the thoughtful discussion, students wrote and created illustrations for each line of the Preamble.

Third-grade students at University Park Elementary School have been working on a geography unit. After learning about the continents and oceans, students created globes out of balloons with lines for the equator and prime meridian dividing the balloons into hemispheres.

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Six Gateway High School students attended the 2017 MS&T Mini-Materials Camp at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The goal of the materials camp was to engage and excite young people about materials science and engineering science, and the students were thoroughly engaged and excited. Students rotated through 12 stations, with each station demonstrating an example of how materials science is used in everyday life. Stations included working with Nitinol, a shape memory alloy; melting metal with microwaves; learning about refractory materials; and observing polymer crystallization with an iPhone.

While the group was watching a demonstration, Gateway graduate Brendan Hamilton stopped by to say hello. He was at the convention center presenting on behalf of Purdue University. Brendan is now studying materials science and was a student participant at the materials camp four years earlier while at Gateway High School.

High School Students Attend Mini-Materials Science Camp in Pittsburgh

December 2017

Gator CafeTraining Center

Gateway High School’s Special Education Department is preparing to open a brand-new Gator Cafe Training Center, and a great deal of progress has been made. The cafe, which will be located just inside the front doors of the high school, will provide various job training opportunities for our students. It will also be a place where all students, teachers, parents and staff will be able to stop during the school day to purchase beverages and Gator gear.

The Gateway Student Government Association (SGA) held its fourth annual Homecoming carnival and bonfire on Thursday, October 12, 2017. The carnival and bonfire tradition began when the SGA was looking to add a new dimension to its Homecoming activities. The SGA reached out to all high school coaches and activity advisors asking if they would be interested in running a booth for a carnival-like atmosphere to celebrate Homecoming. We are proud to announce that the event has grown to 29 participants from 21 in 2014. Participating in the carnival helps students raise funds for their club, activity, or sport while enhancing their school spirit and community pride.

The evening began with the Gateway High School Marching Band leading cheerleaders, football players, and other sports teams from the high school level down to the midget squads to the bonfire area. Principal Pete Murphy and head football coach Don Holl said a few words, the Homecoming Court was announced, and finally, the bonfire was lit.

Once the bonfire was lit, the crowd headed to the carnival to enjoy a variety of food and exciting games. The Homecoming carnival and bonfire have quickly become a Gateway tradition that students and the community look forward to each fall.

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“ We are very proud of our current cafe, and we are excited about the opportunity to open a new, larger cafe that will provide even more

opportunities for students. At Gateway High School, our students are our most important asset and

helping students to master job skills prior to high school graduation is one of the most important goals of our Special Education Department.”

– Megan Petruska, Transition Coordinator

SGA Holds Homecoming Carnival and Bonfire

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The UPMC East Health Career Symposium is an after- school program for high school students in grades 11-12 who have demonstrated a strong interest in pursuing a career in Healthcare. During the program, participants met with a Healthcare professional each Tuesday in October from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at UPMC East hospital to discuss job responsibilities and educational pathways, and to learn skills like bone realignment and orthopedics, infection control, physical and occupational therapy, and respiratory therapy.

High School Science Department Held UPMC East Health Career Symposium

Participants are considered to be volunteers at UPMC and have the opportunity to engage in volunteer experiences in the local community. These volunteer hours will meet high school community service graduation requirements and qualify as pre-service hours for health career majors.

The cohort of students gave rave reviews. The comments in the photos below are quotes from the students after leaving the sessions. As you can see, it was both educational and engaging.

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This year Gateway is hosting several physicians from Forbes Hospital who volunteered to come to Gateway for a chat. Students meet with physicians during 6th period in the LGI to chat about educational pathways and careers in health care. Chats occur once per month throughout the school year.

The first visit was on October 10 date with Dr. Brian Mosier, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Mosier discussed the years of schooling necessary to become an orthopedic surgeon – 14 in total – and reviewed case studies of recent knee and ankle surgeries complete with photos, which are always a big hit with the students!

Health Care Chats Held with Forbes Hospital

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Howard Chandler, a survivor of the Holocaust, spoke to our community in the Gateway High School Auditorium. He shared his inspirational story of hope and survival in the notorious Treblinka, Auschwitz and Dachau death camps during World War II. Mr. Chandler was 14 years old when he was forced into slave labor by the Nazis. He and his older brother, who died in 2005, were the only two from his family of six to survive the Holocaust. Mr. Chandler is now 89 years old and lives in Toronto.

Mr. Jeffrey Biros, a Gateway High School Social Studies teacher, met Mr. Chandler in the summer of 2017 while studying the Holocaust through Classrooms without Borders, a non-profit educational organization founded in 2011 that provides experiential professional development for teachers in Western Pennsylvania.

Mr. Biros said, “We’re so lucky that Howard is willing to come to our school to share his story.”

We are excited to announce a new curricular resource

that recognizes the ever-increasing importance of

technology. During the 2017-18 school year, an iPad is

being provided to all students at Moss Side Middle

School. Over the course of the first quarter, students

were introduced to the iPad and to a digital citizenship

curriculum that will include, but not limited to:

• communication

• internet safety

• privacy and security

• information literacy, and

• digital footprints

The iPads will also be used to enhance other subjects

and instruction by enabling students to take advantage

of inactive digital lessons and new forms of classroom

interactions to provide real time feedback and

communication.

Holocaust Survivor Shares His Story

Moss Side Middle School Students Receive iPads

December 2017

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The “Gators Helping Gators” service project began when the media covered boat rescues in Dickinson, Texas during Hurricane Harvey. The story showed Dickinson High School, which also has a Gator as its mascot. We discussed the idea of having our students help their fellow Gators in Texas, and the idea was met with great enthusiasm. A few teachers and organizations stepped up.

Dr. Cheryl Kohler and the GHS environmental club raised $1,200 selling Gators Unite T-shirts.

Mrs. Dull and the Class of 2021 raised $100 selling cotton candy.

Mr. Whelan and Interact Club raised $453 selling a lottery basket raffle to high school staff.

Mrs. Hurey and Mrs. Dudek and SGA / Mr. Randolph & Girls Volleyball raised $2,608 with basket raffles at lunch and a student vs faculty volleyball game fundraiser on Gateway Middle School staff raised $640 through a raffle.

Total Raised was about $5,000

GatorsHelping Gators

In October 2017, Gateway high school teacher

Lynn Martin and several students attended the

Forensic Science and Law Conference at Duquesne

University to listen to a series of lectures about the

current opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania. This is a

professional conference for attorneys, nurses, and

law enforcement professionals to professional

development credits/hours.

Martin said, “Over the last several years, I have

developed an excellent rapport with Ben Wecht

[Program Administrator at the Cyril H. Wecht Institute

of Forensic Science and Law], and he has permitted

Gateway students to attend these annual symposiums.

We are often the only high school in attendance.”

The group from Gateway was able to hear Pennsylvania

Attorney General Josh Shapiro speak. During a question

and answer session, students Meryl Wiratmo and Erin

Douglass both asked questions and proudly represented

Gateway High School.

Learning About the Opioid Epidemic in Pennsylvania

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Marching Band Finishes in Top 10 at Ohio CompetitionOn September 16, 2017, the Gateway High School Marching Band traveled to Canton, Ohio, to compete against 14 bands from across four states. The competition was held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was part of the Bands of America Northeast Ohio Regional contest.

The band performed its competitive show, “Chakras - Mind, Body and Spirit,” in the preliminary and final competitions. When results were announced, the Gateway Band had finished as the 10th place finalist behind many large, nationally ranked bands.

It was a spectacular day for the Gateway Marching Band! Congratulations to all of the students, staff, and adults who took part in the day.

High school students Tim Valentich (Grade 11), Joel

Warchol (Grade 11), Marina Tiwold (Grade 9), and Laylo

Tukhtamurodova (Grade 9), worked as a conservationist

team during the one-day Eco-Challenge, presented by

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the

Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Teams were tasked

with finding various objects throughout the conservatory

in a scavenger hunt, creating a flower and identifying the

pollinator, and interviewing a botanist and creating a

poster highlighting his or her research. The Eco-Challenge

is the kickoff event for the year-long Fairchild Challenge, in

which Gateway High School has participated for several

years. The Fairchild Challenge was developed by the

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida, and

adopted by Phipps as a satellite partner. Each month,

a new challenge is presented, and AIM students, in

collaboration with other departments, submit entries for

the high school.

High School Students Participate in Conservationist

Event

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December 2017

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Each year, the Gateway School District uses more than 67 school

buses and/or vans to transport approximately 3,363 students to

and from school each school day that travel nearly 835,000 miles

each year.

As part National School Bus Safety Week, the District participated

in Operation Safe Stop, which was conducted in communities across

Pennsylvania. The Gateway School District, along with local law

enforcement and STA Bus Company, participated in Operation Safe

Stop the week of October 16-20.

Principals and law enforcement identified bus stops to visit that week.

For example, the Pitcairn Police Department, in conjunction with

Cleveland Steward Elementary, participated in Operation Safe Stop

at the corner of Wall Avenue and Third Street. Featured in the photo

is Officer Michael Morency and Principal Michael Jack.

Gateway Participates in Operation Safe Stop

A series of roundtable discussions with Superintendent of Schools for the

Gateway School District, Dr. William Short, will take place to enhance community

communications through stakeholder forums. In addition, the roundtable discussion is

an opportunity to promote communication to better achieve our mission and further

the understanding of the School District goals, vision and programming. The next

meeting will occur on December 4th at Ramsey Elementary School.

Superintendent Roundtables Set for 2017 / 2018

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High School Students Attend World Affairs InstituteSeven Gateway High School students attended the

47th annual World Affairs Institute for Student Leaders

on Wednesday, October 18th at the Westin Convention

Center in Pittsburgh. The topic this year was Global

Solutions to the Environmental Crisis. The institute

immersed the students in a timely topic important to

everyone.

After a brief introduction by Ms. Angélica Ocampo,

President and CEO of World Affairs Council of

Pittsburgh, Mr. Ken Berlin, President and CEO of

The Climate Reality Project, delivered the keynote

presentation.

Students were then presented with various view

points from a panel of featured speakers. The speakers

included: Dr. Jordan Fischbach, Co-director RAND Water

and Climate Resilience Center; Ms. Susan Packard

LeGros, President and Executive Director of the Center

for Responsible Shale Development; and Mr. Randy

Sargent, Sr. Systems Scientist at Carnegie Mellon

University CREATE Lab.

An in-depth panel discussion followed and one of

our students, 11th grader Hera Mukhtar, who is

pursuing her Global Leadership certificate, asked a

very thought-provoking question regarding climate.

Once the discussion concluded, students were given a

World Climate Simulation where they had to represent

a country, organization, or group and debate/decide

on how they would solve the scenario based on their

assigned group’s perspective. The students then

presented their solutions to the panel.

The delegates this year were: 12th grader Savannah

Plaskon, 12th grader Micah Symons, 12th grader Meryl

Wiratmo, 11th grader Carly Haas, 9th grader Zaina

Abbas, 11th grader Naomi Fry, and 11th grader Hera

Mukhtar.

These students also attended a Rotary Luncheon

on Thursday, November 2 to thank the Rotarian’s for the

scholarship and to present what they learned at the

Institute.

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December 2017

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Elementary Students

Against BullyingTo recognize National anti-bullying month, Evergreen Elementary held a contest with every homeroom. The students were responsible for decorating their respective homerooms with any theme addressing anti-bullying. Thanks to everyone that participated!

Leadership n Scholarship n Sportsmanship n Leadership n Scholarship

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Gateway School District9000 Gateway Campus BoulevardMonroeville, PA 15146

Superintendent Dr. William Short

Contact UsDistrict Administrative Offices Address:9000 Gateway Campus BlvdMonroeville, PA 15146

Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m

Phone: (412) 372-5300

Website: www.gatewayk12.org

Gateway School DistrictBoard of DirectorsScott Williams - President

Mary Beth Cirucci - Vice President

Brian Goppman

Jesse Kalkstein

George Lapcevich

Rick McIntyre

Steve O’Donnell

John Ritter

Valerie Warning

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