For The Future
Building A Foundation

Shaler Area School District 2018 Report to the Community

	Building A Foundation

Letter from the Superintendent Dear Shaler Area families,

At Shaler Area, we are focused on Building a Foundation for our students to succeed in every stage of their lives, from our youngest learners just learning to read to our high school students looking at college or career paths after graduation.

Our goal is to build a foundation for our students’ academic success by strengthening literacy skills, exposing them to advanced technology and innovative thinking, and providing them with resources to explore potential career paths. This foundational work goes beyond the curriculum to providing safe and secure learning environments for all students as well as our commitment to fiscal
responsibility to ensure the future success of the district. In the pages of this report, you will see how placing a focus on these foundational skills have helped our students, staff, and alumni see success and recognition for their accomplishments.

We are proud to share this year’s report to the community and highlight some of the ways that Shaler Area is Building a Foundation for the future.

Sincerely,

Mr. Sean C.Aiken
Shaler Area Superintendent

MISSION

VISION

Shaler Area School District is a collaborative, innovative, and creative learning environment for all.

To serve our Shaler Area community and its children by providing an education that fosters our youth to be contributing members of society.

To develop resiliency, empathy, creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem solving in every student on their path to fulfilling their potential.

VALUES

• We value the celebration and promotion of excellence in our community.
• We value a culture where everyone has a voice and everyone is an owner.
• We value and encourage creative and innovative risk-taking.
• We value our responsibility to serve and educate our community.
• We value an atmosphere of trust, transparency, and collaboration.

CLASS OF 2018
{
4%
54%
Shaler Area School District

by the
NUMBERS

373 Students in Shaler Area’s Class of 2018

Of Shaler Area’s 2018 graduates earned a QPA of 3.5 or higher

MORE
THAN $2.4 million
Total amount of scholarship money awarded to students in the Class of 2018

Post-Graduation Plans
96 percent of the Class of 2018 graduates left Shaler Area for post-secondary education opportunities, the military, or full-time employment.

81%
Post-secondary education (including college, university, & apprenticeships)
Undecided

6% Military

9% Employment

81 percent of 2018 grads choose post-secondary education

• American Musical and Dramatic Academy
• Allegheny College • American University • Arizona State University • Beacon College • Bidwell Training Center • Bloomsburg University
of Pennsylvania • Bowling Green State
University • California University of
Pennsylvania • Carlow University • Chatham University • Clarion University • Colorado College • Community College of
Allegheny County • Daytona State College • Douglas Education
Center • Duquesne University • Edinboro University

• Franklin & Marshall College
• Gannon University • Geneva College • Grove City College • Hilbert College • Indiana University of
Pennsylvania • Kent State University • La Roche College • Marshall University • New Century Careers • New College of Florida • New York Institute of
Technology • Northern Michigan
University • Oberlin College • Ohio State University • Ohio University • Penn State University
• Pittsburgh Career Institute • Pittsburgh Institute of
Aeronautics

• Pittsburgh Technical College
• Robert Morris University • Rochester Institute of
Technology • Roanoke College
• Rosedale Technical College • Saint Francis University • Saint Vincent College • Seton Hill University • Shippensburg University • Slippery Rock University • St. Anthony School
Program, Duquesne University
• St. Bonaventure University • St. Vincent College • Syracuse University • Temple University
• Thiel College • Towson University • University of Denver • University of Findlay • University of Hartford

• University of Kentucky • University of Oregon • University of Pittsburgh • University of Texas • UPMC Saint Margaret
School of Nursing • Vet Tech Institute • Villanova University • Virginia Tech • Washington & Jefferson
College • Waynesburg University • West Chester University • West Virginia University • Western Carolina
University • Western Pennsylvania
Hospital School of Nursing
• Youngstown State University
• Various trade apprenticeships (plumbing, carpentry)

because they find success
with the ability to read
	Building A Foundation

Literacy Skills

Fundations®
Fundations® is a research-based program to teach phonics, spelling, and handwriting in a systematic, multisensory way. Shaler Area had been using Fundations® at the primary level for five years as an intervention program for students
who were struggling academically. Teachers saw so much success in the students using the program, that the district expanded the program for all students in kindergarten through second-grade
in the 2017-18 school year. Students receive daily lessons to teach foundational skills that support reading, writing, and language standards. Students start by learning the sounds for each letter and letter blends then work to build words through phonemic awareness.

Primary school students build foundational skills for literacy— phonics, spelling, and handwriting—through Fundations®, a research-based program that uses a systematic, multisensory approach.

Guided reading provides primary school students with small-
group instruction that focuses on foundational skills to build confidence in becoming proficient, independent readers.

Guided Reading Guided reading is a teaching method
focused on providing small-group instruction on the individual student’s reading level. The process has been used at the primary level for three years to build students’ reading comprehension. Teachers conduct lessons with small groups of students
on similar reading levels. Through the lessons, students learn how to be independent readers. Younger primary students work on alphabet skills, letter sounds, and sight words, while older primary school students work on reading comprehension with the goal of all students becoming proficient,
independent readers. Each primary school has a separate book
TITAN FACT
room that contains a library of leveled-reading books.
motivated students
The use of guided reading and the	Guided reading has Fundations® program at the primary
schools has decreased overall referrals
for academic support and interventions.		on their level. Teachers see the value of teaching a
student to be a proficient reader throughout the curriculum.

M
Library and Etna
TITAN FACT

Michael Ulery, Shaler Area Elementary School record holder

Sixth-grader breaks school reading record

ichael Ulery, a sixth-grader at Shaler Area Elementary School, broke the school’s
record for the most words read in a school year. Michael read more than 7.4 million
words as part of the Titan Trail Reading Adventure. The word total represents the more than 80 novels that Michael read during the school year.
In the 2017-18 school year, Michael was one of more than 130 students at the
Elementary School who read 1 million words or more.

Titan Trail Reading Adventure

Titan Trail Reading Adventure is a schoolwide reading incentive program for students in fourth- to sixth-grade at Shaler Area Elementary School. The program was developed by a volunteer committee of teachers, librarians, parents, administrators, and community members and launched in 2009 with the goal of motivating students to be independent readers.
Research shows that reading increases academic success, and the Titan Trail program encourages students to read 25 books each year.
While reading is the main focus of the Titan Trail program, it also connects other disciplines
to appeal to students’ interests and abilities. The annual culminating activity for reaching the 25-book goal is a field trip to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail at Millvale Riverfront Park. The day is filled with recreational activities that are available throughout the community. Students who read 1 million words within
a single school year are rewarded with a separate day of
Millvale Community
activities at the	 99 percent of Shaler Area Elementary School
Borough Pool and
students read 25 books Playground.	or more throughout the

school year.
Middle School’s English language arts block scheduling

In an effort to increase emphasis on English language arts (ELA) skills, Shaler Area Middle School piloted a block schedule in the 2017-18 school year to provide students with a 90-minute class period for ELA. The 90-minute period provided teachers with the opportunity to cover topics in greater depth and place additional focus on the foundational skills students need
for success. The goal is to develop independent, lifelong readers who have the literacy skills needed to succeed at the high school level and beyond.

Shaler Area Middle School piloted “block scheduling” for its English language arts classes in the 2017-18 school year, which provided a 90-minute class period for students to study skills associated with English language arts.

	Building A Foundation

Career Exploration

Junior Achievement

Shaler Area is expanding its career readiness programs to span K-12 in an effort to help students prepare for life post-graduation. Students K-6 learn about business and economics through the Junior Achievement USA programs designed specifically for elementary students. Shaler Area professionals volunteer to teach the day-long curriculum, which teaches students economic lessons from money management to running a business through age-appropriate, hands-on activities.

Fifth-grade students learn about different careers from Shaler Area High School students enrolled in A.W. Beattie Career Center programs.

Primary students explore entrepreneurial skills with a group activity to start a restaurant business during their school’s Junior Achievement Day.
Career Day

Fifth-grade students at Shaler Area Elementary School spend an entire day each year learning about different careers through hands-on activities. Shaler Area High School students who are dual-enrolled in the A.W. Beattie Career Center programs teach the younger students about career paths available through the school.
Outside organizations, such as the Carnegie Science Center, introduce students to additional science, technology, engineering, art, and math careers.

Career & trade program school visits

Throughout the school year, Shaler Area High School students have the opportunity to hear from professionals in various careers as well as members of local trade unions to learn more about the careers available to them once they graduate. The school visits provide students with an inside look at different careers, information about prerequisite courses required to enter a program, and tips on how to succeed in the specific career.

Shaler Area High School students role-play an emergency room situation with University of Pittsburgh pharmacy students.

Technology Innovation Project ENGIN/Caboose	Grades	SAES Car Show

K

1

The district launched Project ENGIN and Project Caboose to give students in the primary buildings the opportunity to Engage, Network, Grow, Inspire, and Navigate through science, technology, engineering, art, and math subjects. Through the programs, students learn to use the engineering design process to solve problems.

STEAM Camp

Shaler Area students have the opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts into the summer through the district’s weeklong camp. Students choose from sessions that range from woodworking to robotics.

STEAM Competition

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3

4

5

6

7

8

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Shaler Area fifth-graders participated in the elementary school’s first “car show” in the 2017-18 school year to showcase their ability to use an inquiry-based learning approach. Students were
assigned a design challenge to engineer a vehicle with recycled materials that could accomplish a specific set of tasks such as traveling up hill, being able to carry a specific weight, or traveling a certain distance in a specific time, all while considering the “cost” of the vehicle parts.The project empowers students
to collaborate with their peers in the school setting, which provides the teacher with the opportunity
to mentor and guide students’ thinking processes through the research, design, and construction phases of the project.

Project ACE
1:1 iPad Initiative

10

11

Shaler Area High School hosts an annual STEAM	12 Competition with challenges that incorporate

science, technology, engineering, art, and math.The 2018 competition attracted students from more than 20 schools in Allegheny, Butler,Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

The Project ACE (Advancing Classroom Education) 1:1 iPad Initiative provides students in seventh-through 12-grade with a district-issued iPad mini device for use in school and at home.The iPads provide students with additional educational resources and empower them to individualize their learning.

	Building A Foundation

Student Success

Hunter Boyle (HVAC): HVAC competition – 2nd place; Dylan Stauffer (Advertising Design): Quiz Bowl competition – 2nd place; Cailey Sangelo (Advertising Design): Advertising Design competition – 3rd place; Morgan Cuda (Advertising Design): Photography competition – 3rd place; and Paul Faloon (Culinary Arts): Culinary Arts competition – competitor.

Andrew D’Agostino and Kylie Dougherty qualified to compete in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad.

ACADEMICS
•	 Juniors Andrew D’Agostino and Kylie Dougherty were two of only 13 high school students from the Pittsburgh section who qualified to compete in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad at the University of Pittsburgh.

•	Four Shaler Area A.W. Beattie Career Center students were named straight-to-state winners in the SkillsUSA competition: Savanna
Scholl (Emergency Response Technology): Criminal Justice competition; Ezekiel Armstead (Advertising Design): Promotional Bulletin Board competition; Cailey Sangelo (Advertising Design): Promotional Bulletin Board competition; and Jason Moore (HVAC): Sheet Metal competition.

•	Junior Kylie Dougherty won an honorable mention in the 2017-2018 Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh High School Essay Contest.

•	 Junior Alexis Knerr placed 2nd in the 9th-12th grade category for the 2017 Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Week Illustrated Poetry Contest.

A.W. Beatie Career Center
•	Six Shaler Area A.W. Beattie Career Center students competed in and placed in the 2018 SkillsUSA District 8 competition, which
challenges the talents and knowledge of career and technical education students: Tristan Emerick (Automotive Collision Technology): Collision Repair competition – 2nd place;

Kelly Cross won a 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national Silver Key.

Visual Arts
•	Senior Kelly Cross won a Silver Key at the national level of the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Kelly’s work was selected by creative professionals from nearly 350,000 works of art and writing submitted. Less than 1 percent were recognized at the national level.

High School wins Fairchild Challenge at Phipps

T
he Shaler Area High School team placed 1st overall in the high school category of
the Fairchild Challenge at Phipps, a yearlong environmental challenge that consisted of five different challenges. Students receive scores for each challenge and the scores are totaled for the overall winners. The students competed against more than 20 regional schools.
Shaler Area students won 1st place for Challenge #1 for which they created 10 original recipes that used all parts of the plant, creating little to no waste. For Challenge #2, students
researched the co-evolution of flowers and their
pollinators and created a mixed-media poster
Student Michaela Brining, High School Gifted and Talented
depicting a fictional flower, its pollinator, and
Education Teacher Christina Palladino, and student Emily Ehrenberger display Shaler Area’s awards from the Fairchild
its habitat. Junior Emily Ehrenberger’s	Challenge at Phipps competition.
TITAN FACT
embroidered flower earned	writing to create a story set in the 3rd-place award and                                                                                             the present or future that sophomore PJ Squire                                                                                                        drew attention to some received a special                                                                                                                    environmental issue. merit award. Shaler                            Shaler Area High School has been                     Junior Evan Walsh Area also placed                              awarded 1st place in 6 of the 8 years	wrote about deer 1st in Challenge #3:                     students have competed in the Fairchild               and chronic wasting
Environmental Design	Challenge at Phipps.	disease, and freshman thanks to students’ Emily                                                                                                 Hannah Coleman Ehrenberger and PJ Squire                                                                                      wrote about beekeeping who envisioned an area of                                                                                      in rural Pennsylvania. The the Pittsburgh Food Truck park in Millvale	final Challenge #5 Environmental Action as an eco-lot, or a community garden. Emily                was the largest and most involved challenge of completed the writing and research portion and        the competition. Students created a calendar of PJ drew the architectural sketch of the design             environmental activities that took place over the idea. For Challenge #4, students used fiction               course of the year.

•	A total of 24 Shaler Area High School students earned 29 awards for their submissions in the Northeast Regionals of the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a prestigious, national,
juried exhibition. The Northeast Art Region-at-Large include submissions from Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Gold Keys were awarded to Kelly Cross, Alexis McKee, and Shannon Roche, qualifying them to have their artwork advance for adjudication

at the national level. Silver Keys were awarded to Claire Raines, Bailey Ritchey, Claire Schreiber, Alexa Stewart, and Abigail Cole (Silver Key Portfolio). Honorable mentions were awarded to Brittany Bitsko, Sarah Blackwell, Jessica Early, Jamie Handyside, Meghan Harris, Samuel Heim, Ian Hunt, Brianna Impavido, Spencer Matan, Regan Pegher, Shannon Roche, Lindsay Sammel, Michaela Scott, PJ Squire (3 awards), Abigail Stewart, Alexa Stewart, Dakota Tigney (2 awards), and Brindle Walzer.

19 students placed in the local Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania’s Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster and poetry contest.

•	Burchfield Primary and Rogers Primary students earned top local prizes in the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania’s Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster contest and poetry contest through the Ingomar Garden Club, District 9. Receiving 1st place awards in the poster contest were Olivia Claycomb, Matthew Headley, Jeffrey Irwin, Chloe Long, Nathan Mikco, and Sienna Sterritt. Receiving 2nd place awards in the poster contest were Henry Hart, Skyler Jenko, Lilyana Kerr, Kailyn Labella, Lila Maurer, Cydney Mubel, and Michael Wu. Receiving 3rd place awards in
the poster contest were Arianna Bauer, Colin Merdian, Abigail Walker, and Makailyn Wong. Brooke Eshenbaugh received an honorable mention for her artwork, and Emma Smith placed 2nd in the poetry contest.

WORLD LANGUAGE
•	Shaler Area students participated in and received recognition for their performance on the National Latin Exam, which tests their
knowledge of Latin vocabulary, Roman culture and mythology, and their translation skills. The National Latin Exam is a test given every year to students in Latin I-V. At the Latin I level, achievement award winners include: Rebecca Beckas, Gabriella Bonnette, Regan Bondarenka, Isabella Cercone, Trapper Crain, Anthony DiGirolamo, Patrick Dunn,
Michael Giazzoni, Kiera Harger, Ethan James, Jorja Kobert, Flannery Loudon, Genevieve

Sabo, Cassidy Laffey, Allison Lienemann, Joseph Lombardo, William Raida, Hailey Robinson, and Rebecca Schiavone. At the Latin II level, Alec Battaglia, earned Gold Summa Cum Laude; Julia Falgione and Brindle Walzer earned Silver Maxima Cum Laude; Samuel Baird, Gabriella Greco, Lydia
Nebiolo, and Kassidy Steinmetz earned Magna Cum Laude; and Owen Berret, Anjolie Girton, Alyssa Juzwick, and Kelsey Marshall earned Cum Laude. At the Latin III level, Elisa Gabriel earned Cum Laude. At the Latin IV level, Jordan Dourlain and Alyssa Krause earned Cum Laude.

Marcus Katich, Kylie Dougherty, Kira Katich, and Evan Baldwin took top places in the annual Japanese Speech Contest.

•	Shaler Area High School students took top awards in the 21st annual High School Japanese Speech Contest held at the University of Pittsburgh and hosted by the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania and the University
of Pittsburgh’s Asian Studies Center. Senior Kira Katich (Advanced Plus) and junior Kylie Dougherty (Advanced) both placed 1st in the combined Advanced Plus/Advanced
category, and junior Marcus Katich placed 2nd (Advanced). Sophomore Evan Baldwin placed 3rd in the Intermediate level.

MUSIC
•	Shaler Area Titan Marching Band was named the Kings’ Skylights Band of the Week on Sept. 8 through WPXI. The band and its halftime performance were featured on WPXI Skylights and on newscasts covering high school sports.

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Shaler Area students help kick off Marathon events

haler Area Elementary School students helped kick off the Toyota Pittsburgh Kids Marathon, one of the
Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon race events, on May 5, 2018. Selected sixth-graders from the school’s SAES Singers, led by Kelly West, were chosen to sing the national anthem prior to the start of the race that attracts thousands of students each year. For the fifth consecutive year, Shaler Area Elementary School Kids of Steel Club members also ran the one-mile course.

•

PMEA District 1 Band

•     27 students were selected to participate in Pennsylvania Music Educators Association
District 1 ensembles. Selected for the PMEA	• District 1 Senior High Band were Jacob
Aufman, percussion; Maryann Berdik, flute; Jon Brockway, euphonium; Michael Chaney, clarinet; Michael LaBella, bassoon; and Hana LeBrew, clarinet. Accepted into the PMEA District 1 Junior High Band were Rebecca Schiavone, flute, and Madeline Turner, baritone horn. Accepted into the
PMEA District 1 Senior High Chorus were Alex Almonte, Madeline Bartosh, Lexi Cerny, Lexie Hellinger, Talha Lone, and Emily Yuretich. Accepted into the PMEA District 1 Junior High Chorus were Patrick Dunn, Kaden Kelly, Jenna Masucci, and Payton Smith. Accepted into the PMEA District 1 Senior High Orchestra were Marissa Fukas, viola; Siroun Petersen, violin II; Camry Sidick, viola; and Morgan
Visconti, violin II. Accepted into the PMEA	• District 1 Junior High Orchestra were Ryan Baldwin, viola; Adam Braughler, French horn; Emily Mellinger, violin; Zachary Spondike, clarinet; and Jonathan Zang, cello.

15 students were selected to participate in the Allegheny Valley Honors Bands. Accepted into the Senior High Honors Band were Maryann Berdik, flute; Michael LaBella, bassoon; Michael Chaney, clarinet; Hana LeBrew, clarinet; Jon Brockway, euphonium; Tyler McAllister, tuba; and Owen Nash, string bass. Accepted into the Junior High Honors Band were Jenna Facer, flute; Alexis Gregory, clarinet; Erika Kenst, clarinet; Zachary Spondike, tenor saxophone; Luke Franks, trumpet; Alyssa Hillwig, trumpet; Adam Braughler, French horn; and Teyah Wilson, mallets.

19 Shaler Area students were accepted into the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 1 honors ensembles. Accepted into the PMEA Honors Band were Jon Brockway, euphonium - 1st chair; Michael Chaney, clarinet 2; Hana LeBrew, clarinet 3; and Michael LaBella, bassoon 3. Accepted into the PMEA Honors Orchestra were Marissa Fukas, Jackie Geyer, and Camryn Turner
all for viola. Accepted into the PMEA Honors Chorus were Alex Almonte, Jake Bartosh, Lexi Cerny, Andrew Lesnett, Talha Lone, Zach Reed, Sidne Shipman, and Erika Spondike. Accepted into the PMEA Honors Jazz Band were Jakob Aufman, drum set, band 1; Luke Franks, trumpet, band 3; Zachary Spondike, tenor sax, band 1; and Michael Zang, trumpet, band 1.

Junior Marissa Fukas was accepted into the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Western Region Orchestra after being seated in the top 7 out of 20 viola players in the PMEA District 1 Senior High Orchestra.

	Building A Foundation

Athletic Accomplishments

•	Indoor Track: Senior John Franklin broke the school record for the 60-meter hurdles.

•	 Track and Field: Seniors John Franklin placed 5th in the 110 meter hurdles and Claire Schreiber placed 6th in triple jump at the WPIAL Track and Field Championships.

•	Boys Soccer: Senior Matt Potock was named Big 56 1st team, as well as All-WPIAL and All-State. Senior Jake Jashinski was named All-Big 56 1st team and signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at St. Bonaventure University.

John Franklin broke the school record for 60-meter hurdles and placed 5th at the WPIAL Track and Field Championships.

•	Girls Soccer: Sophomore Molly Malachow was named Honorable Mention by Big 56 Athletic Conferences.

•	Girls Volleyball: The team qualified for the WPIAL team play-offs. Junior Oyinda Agbale was named Big 56 1st Team, senior Leah Cunningham was named Big 56 2nd Team, and senior Stephanie Ford was named Honorable Mention Big 56.

•	Football: Shaler Area athletes were named to the Big 56 All-Star Selections including junior

Jeffrey Bonnette (Offensive Tackle) 2nd Team Offense; seniors Justin Aversa (Defensive End) and Jason Moore (Outside Linebacker) 2nd Team Defense; junior Joseph Kremer (Running Back) Honorable Mention Offense, and senior Parker Kilgore (Inside Linebacker) Honorable Mention Defense.

•	Boys Golf: Senior Tanner Grzegorczyk placed 16th at the PIAA golf Championships. He also signed a National Letter of Intent to attend University of Findlay and play golf.

Competitive Cheer Squad earns PIAA championship title

T
he Shaler Area Competitive Cheer squad won the PIAA championship title for the first time since coming close with a 2nd place win in 2015.
The team traveled to Hershey, Pa. in January 2018 where they competed in the preliminary round against 44 teams and advanced to the finals where the team competed against 14 teams.

•	Wrestling: The Shaler Area Wrestling Team advanced to the WPIAL Team playoffs before falling to Upper St. Clair by one point. Junior Ryan Sullivan and senior Garrett Reinsfelder were both section champs at the 113- and
132-pound weight classes respectively. Ryan was WPIAL Champion and Garrett placed 3rd and both advanced to the PIAA State
Tournament. Ryan went on to become the first wrestling state champion in over a decade for Shaler Area.

•	Boys Basketball: The team achieved a nine-win season, the highest in five years.

Ryan Sullivan became the first athlete to win a wrestling state championship in more than 10 years.

•	Girls Basketball: The team secured a playoff spot before falling to Latrobe in the first round. Senior Megan Lydon signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Clarion University and was named Big 56 first team All-Section.

•	Boys Volleyball: The team again qualified for the WPIAL post season losing a very close match to Baldwin. Senior Jon Ramsey was named 1st team all-section.

•	Baseball: Senior Patrick Gumto was named to the Big 56 1st Team as a pitcher and signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at California University of Pennsylvania. Senior
Christian Seelhorst signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Seton Hill University.

•	Bowling: The Shaler Area girls bowling team advanced to the WPIBL postseason playoffs for the first time in the sport’s history.

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Shaler Area launches Unified Sports bocce team haler Area proudly introduced its newest team

sport in the 2018 season: Unified Sports bocce. The Unified Sports indoor bocce program
is supported through the Special Olympics and Unified Sports program to promote social inclusion through athletics. The program pairs
students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team.
Shaler Area’s inaugural team included James Bernick, Zachary Eshelman, Alyssa Interthal, Nakeisha McCoy, Angelina Robertson, Jessica Smith, Kassidy Steinmetz, and Skyler Tortorea.
a Unified Sports
with and without
Teams practice at least twice per week	Shaler Area High and participate in at least three competitions. The	School introduced Unified Sports bocce season runs from December	bocce team in 2018 through February with the Allegheny County	which pairs students Interscholastic Unified Sports Indoor Bocce	intellectual disabilities Championships being held in March.	on the same team.
Shaler Area’s Unified Bocce Team finished 6th in their division at the Allegheny County Bocce Championships.

	Building A Foundation

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Alumni Accomplishments haler Area honored Dr. Pranav Shetty (Class of	career working in underserved areas, he joined 1999) as the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus                      International Medical Corps in 2012, a global for his accomplishments following                                               nonprofit humanitarian aid agency, as an

high school graduation and his global	emergency medical coordinator. contributions to emergency medicine.                                                                         Dr. Shetty was one of the first
Shaler Area created the	doctors deployed in the Philippines Distinguished Alumnus Award to                                                                         after the devastating and deadly recognize and honor the graduates                                                                       Typhoon Haiyan hit the islands
of the Shaler Area, Shaler, Etna or	and southeast Asia in 2013. He Millvale School District who have                                                                           also was instrumental in the made valuable contributions to                                                                              humanitarian response to the society either in their personal or                                                                         2014 Ebola epidemic and helped professional lives. A committee of                                                                        set up hospitals in Liberia, Guinea, teachers and administrators from                                                                      Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Botswana, Shaler Area High School selects the                                                                 and Ghana.
winner of this award annually as a way	Dr. Shetty’s work was

of recognizing the many accomplishments	recognized at the national level, when of its graduates.                                                                                      in January 2015, First Lady Michelle Obama
Following his 1999 graduation from Shaler	invited him to the White House State of the Union Area High School, Dr. Shetty went on to graduate	Address as her personal guest. Dr. Shetty met from college and then medical school from the	President Barack Obama, who thanked him for his University of Pittsburgh, complete a residency	dedication to helping those in need regardless of in emergency medicine at the University of	race, gender, nationality, or class.
California, Los Angeles, and then earn a Masters	Dr. Shetty now works as a health advisor for of Public Health at the University of Maryland.                the London-based international nongovernmental During his medical and public health training, he           organization, Save the Children, which promotes traveled overseas in order to volunteer his time              children’s rights and provides relief and support to treating patients. In order to further pursue a                  children in developing countries.

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haler Area graduate J.P. Holtz (Class of 2012) returned to his alma mater during the 2018 Shaler Area Titans Youth Football Camp to talk to young
students about the importance of good sportsmanship, being a team player, and being a positive leader in school and their community.
Mr. Holtz was a four-year letterman in football and basketball while at Shaler Area and was one of WPIAL’s most highly recruited players. He went on the University of Pittsburgh where he started as a freshman on the Panthers football team and was
team captain his senior year. He continued his football career as an undrafted free agent for the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and 2017, and in 2018, he signed with the Washington Redskins.

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	Building A Foundation

Staff Success haler Area High School teacher Nick Haberman was named the Holocaust Educator of the

Year by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. The award is given through the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh to an educator from Pennsylvania, Ohio, or West Virginia who inspires critical thought and personal growth through the lessons of the Holocaust.
Mr. Haberman teaches the History of the Holocaust course, a half-year social studies elective offered at the high school and covers the history
of the Holocaust from the origins of anti-Semitism through WWII to neo-Nazism today.
Mr. Haberman makes every effort to expose students to primary documents related to the Holocaust, including videos, journals and texts, and first-hand accounts from living Holocaust survivors and witnesses to current human rights abuses.
“Soon, there will be no survivors left to tell their story. After all the survivors are gone, it’s up to teachers to carry on their legacy and pass on their stories to future generations,” Mr. Haberman said — a lesson he learned from his first survivor guest speaker.
As part of the award, Mr. Haberman was

Nick Haberman was named Holocaust Educator of the Year by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.

invited to attend Columbia University in New York City to become an Alfred Lerner Fellow through the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous organization. Mr. Haberman is now considered a “Master Teacher” in Holocaust education.
Mr. Haberman plans to expand Holocaust education at Shaler Area by establishing the first high school-based “Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education.”

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Julia Igims named Teacher of the Year semifinalist

haler Area is proud to recognize                                                program celebrates excellence in teaching teacher Julia Igims for being named                                              and honors individuals who have made
semifinalist for the 2019 Pennsylvania	outstanding contributions to the Teacher of the Year.                                                                                       young people of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Igims is a special	Since 2013, Shaler Area education teacher at Marzolf                                                                       has had 12 individual teachers Primary School and currently                                                                     recognized as state Teacher of teaches in an Intensive Support                                                                 the Year semifinalists, with some Classroom, which focuses on students                                                    being recognized as semifinalists in with complex needs. Ms. Igims’ lessons                                                multiple years. Shaler Area has had concentrate on building foundational                                                two teachers named finalists in the state skills in students to help them master life                                    Teacher of the Year program: high school skills throughout their education.                                         teachers Jade Leung (2016) and Greg Mason
The Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year	(2018).

	Building A Foundation

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District Distinctions

haler Area School District was honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for
its outstanding commitment to music education. Shaler Area was one of 583 school districts
in the nation and 84 districts in the state to be named among the Best Communities for music education. The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts
that demonstrate outstanding achievement	Shaler Area was honored with the Best Communities for Music in efforts to provide music access and                                                     Education designation from The NAMM Foundation. education to all students.
“We take great pride in	highlights Shaler Area’s commitment our music education program at                                                                       to music education, and puts a Shaler Area,” said Superintendent                                                                     national spotlight on the amazing Sean Aiken. “Our students receive                                                                        things our music department does the highest quality of music                                                                                        every day.”
education from our dedicated	The NAMM Foundation teachers, which becomes evident                                                                             is a nonprofit organization each year when they take the                                                                                    supported in part by the stage in band, orchestra, and choral concerts,                                        National Association of Music
school performances, and school musicals. The	Merchants and its approximately 10,300 Best Communities for Music Education designation      members around the world.

Title I Distinguished Schools Jeffery Primary School and Reserve

Primary School were two of only 123 Title I schools in Pennsylvania to be named a Title I Distinguished School for the 2017-18 school year. Both primary schools received High Achievement status by meeting all four annual measurable objectives and performing in the top 5 percent for English language arts and math proficiency on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test. Schools in the district have been named Title I Distinguished Schools in three of
the past four years.

Shaler Area’s Jeffery Primary and Reserve Primary schools were recognized as Title I Distinguished Schools for 2017-18.

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SAFE & SUPPORTIVE

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

haler Area recognizes that the spaces in which students learn play a significant role in their academic success. For that reason, the district
is committed to providing students with the best possible learning environments.

Scott Primary School
Scott Primary School, located on Scott Avenue, opened for the 2018-19 school year for students in kindergarten to third-grade previously enrolled in Jeffery and Rogers Primary Schools. Principal Cynthia Foht leads the school. Scott Primary is designed to house each grade level
in its own neighborhood of classrooms and special education rooms and includes enhanced security features, and a separate cafeteria, library, gymnasium, and STEAM room.

School Safety
The district continuously evaluates its facilities and procedures to ensure a safe environment for students and staff. In recent

Scott Primary School opened in the 2018-19 school year and houses 375 students in kindergarten through third-grade.

years, the district has increased safety through facility improvements especially at front entrances, additional safety personnel including a School Resource Officer, and safety and response training for students and staff such as lockdown drills and ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Training, respectively. Buildings K-12 also are focused on providing a positive environment for students through aligning their positive behavior interventions and supports plans.

Student Advisory Committees Three times per year, a group of students
from the elementary, middle, and high schools meets with the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and building principal to discuss the student experience in that building. Topics range from academic programs to student safety.

Shaler Area High School named SWPBIS Distinguished School

Shaler Area High School was recognized for its implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) to build a positive and supportive culture for students. In the 2017-18 school year, the high school participated in the Schoolwide Evaluation Tool to determine SWPBIS fidelity. The process evaluates seven areas of SWPBIS implementation and includes interviews of administration, staff, and students as well as a review of documents supporting SWPBIS in the school. Shaler Area received a distinguished score of 91 percent.

Shaler Area High School was recognized for its Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) plan.

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	Building A Foundation Fiscal Responsibility

iscal responsibility and operational efficiency remain at the forefront of the district’s priorities, and administration continues to
look for creative ways to utilize staff, generate resources, and reduce spending while maintaining the integrity of the academic programs.
Since the 2016-17 school year, the district instituted an aggressive attrition model to reduce salaries and benefits. The district has continued to use this model to minimize the overall increase in salaries and benefits in the 2018-19 budget and into the future.
The $84,967,675 budget for 2018-19 features an overall increase of only 1.33 percent over the 2017-18 budget. With revenues generating $81,788,972, Shaler Area balanced the budget using $2.8 million of its fund balance, and a 0.25-mill increase. The millage rate for 2018-19 is 23.5319 mills.

WHERE OUR MONEY COMES FROM

Federal Funding—0.8%	Fund Balance Allocation—3.3%

State Funding—33%

Local Funding—65.5%

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In the 2017-18 school year,
Grants advance initiatives, save money s part of Shaler Area’s	•	 Pre-K Counts commitment to fiscal	preschool program at

Shaler Area received
more than $244,000
responsibility, teachers	Marzolf and Reserve and administrators seek	Primary schools
in grant funds.
out grant opportunities	•	 School Resource each year to help cover	Officer
the cost of academic	•	 Schoolwide Positive initiatives, resources, and	Behavior, Interventions educational opportunities.	and Supports program at
In the 2017-18 school year, Shaler Area	the middle school

received more than $244,000 in grant funds.	•	Chromebooks for the Project ENGIN/ These grants provided students and teachers                   Caboose program at the primary schools with additional opportunities without affecting	•	STEAM programming equipment
the district budget. In the 2017-18 school	•	Makerspace resources at the year, grants received provided funding for the                  elementary school
following programs and initiatives:	•	Educational out-of-district trips

The 2018-19 school year budget designates funds for academic programs and the safety and security of the district’s facilities, including the continuation of the School Resource Officer program in
the district and the purchase of new science textbooks at the high school level.

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2018-19 budget supports academics, safety

haler Area is committed to supporting	Shaler Area Elementary School;
educational initiatives and improving the	•	Constructing a captured vestibule at Reserve safety and security of the district’s facilities                   Primary;
through a plan set forth in the 2018-19 school year	•	Improving the entrance at Shaler Area budget.                                                                                                 Elementary School.
The $84,967,675 budget for 2018-19 continues Shaler Area’s commitment to quality
educational programing through supporting the	WHERE OUR MONEY GOES following projects:

Rentals—2.2%
•	Continuation of the Project ACE 1:1 iPad	Professional Services—2.1% initiative;                                                                                                         Repairs, Electric, Water,	Equipment—0.6%
Supplies, Gas, Fuel, Books—2.9%
•	Upgrading the district’s student management
Refunds, Fees—0.2%
Debt Service—8.5%
system, gradebook, and parent portal;	Debt Interest, Prior Year •	Piloting a new reading series in Kindergarten
Insurance,
through sixth-grade;	Transportation, •	Purchasing new science textbooks at the high	Tuition—12.2%
school level;
•	Increasing professional development to support the change to block scheduling in math and English language arts at the middle school.
The budget also continues Shaler Area’s commitment to the safety and security of its facilities and designates funds for the following projects:
•	Completion of Scott Primary School construction;
•	Continuation of the School Resource Officer
position in the district;	Beneﬁts—28.2%	Salaries—43.1% •	Enhancing the exterior and emergency lighting
at Burchfield Primary, Marzolf Primary, and

Shaler Area School District 1800 Mount Royal Boulevard Glenshaw, PA 15116

Shaler Area School Board

Shaler Area School Board is made up of nine elected members who represent the community and play an integral role in making decisions for the future of Shaler Area.

Front Row (left to right): Suzanna Donahue, School Board Vice President Eileen Phillips, School Board President Dr. April Kwiatkowski, Jeanne Petrovich
Back Row (left to right): Superintendent Sean Aiken, James Fisher, Jason Machajewski, James Tunstall, Tim Gapsky, Steve Romac, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Bryan O’Black

Shaler Area School Board of Directors meets most months on the second and third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Barbara J. Duss Conference Room of the Administration Building, 1800 Mt. Royal Blvd. December’s reorganization meeting is the ﬁrst Wednesday of the month. A full schedule of meetings, meeting agendas,
and minutes are available at www.sasd.k12.pa.us/SchoolBoard.aspx.

412-492-1200	www.sasd.k12.pa.us	@shalerarea