Steel Valley Middle School

The first session of Cooking in the Garden at the Steel Valley Grows garden at Franklin Primary wrapped up this week. Coordinated by Ms. Christine Schott and led by Ms. Holli Bobick, these summer sessions allow students in grades 3-8 to learn more about gardening, where our food comes from, and how to make some easy but delicious meals.

Thanks to Ms. Bobick and Ms. Carmella Marzec for sharing some photos, and to all who pitch in to help with this program. Visit the SV Grows Garden page linked above for information about July and August sessions.

Please contact Meghan Fitzgerald to sign up!

http://www.dhs.pa.gov/SunBucks

A reminder that June’s board meeting schedule has changed from the originally published date.

The board will meet for a work session on Monday, June 17 at 7:30 p.m. and then for a voting session on Thursday, June 20 at 7 p.m.

Both meetings will be in the high school library.

Registration is this Wednesday, June 12th from 8am until 9:30am at the HS gym. Don’t miss out!

Her senior presentation in high school caused severe anxiety. Years later, Dr. Taylor Clementoni spoke with confidence in front of a much larger crowd as the guest speaker for the Steel Valley High School Class of 2024's commencement ceremony. The opportunity was a full circle moment for the Steel Valley alum, who shared more about her journey from prospective orthodontist to Director of Program Development at UPMC's Western Psychiatric Hospital.

https://www.steelvalleysd.org/high-school/news/1791280/how-dr-taylor-clementoni-11-defeated-the-imposter-within-and-found-new-opportunities-with-a-new-sense-of-confidence

Congrats to incoming 6th grader Avery Yakubic who just competed in the ATA Northeast District Championship for traditional weapons and won 2nd place in the whole district! We are of you, Avery!

Don’t forget to sign up!

Don't forget - Kennywood Day for Steel Valley is next Tuesday, June 4! Here's how to get your discounted tickets. Can't make it on the 4th? Follow the instructions to get discounted tickets to visit by July 14.

📣Attention girls heading to 7th, 8th and 9th grade: If you’re interested in volleyball, check out the Steel Valley High School Girls Volleyball Summer Camp! Attending this camp will help you learn the game and improve your skills. Space is very limited (only 24 spots) to provide plenty of individualized attention!

Register in-person on Wednesday, June 12th in the High School gym from 8:00am-9:30am. $50 cash or check made out to “SVHS Girls Volleyball” includes a camp t-shirt, daily snack and drink.

Thanks to Tickets for Kids Charities for giving our student volunteers and families an opportunity to enjoy a Friday night out at PNC Park celebrating a Bucco win as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves followed by an amazing firework display!
Middle school students who helped with our 4th grade Step Up Day and HS students who aided in our MS Field Day were offered tickets to the game. A great time was had by all!

COMMENCEMENT UPDATE

After a careful review of today’s forecast, the Steel Valley School District has decided to continue with today’s commencement ceremony as scheduled.

The outdoor ceremony is the best way to celebrate our students and we want to give them every opportunity to enjoy that experience. We recommend being prepared for inclement weather and there will be a contingency plan in place if needed.

Congrats SV Class of 2024!

Middle School cheer tryouts!

Ms. Noblet would like to send a thank you to our SV community and families for sending postcards to our 5th grade social studies classes throughout this school year. It was an important connection to our North American regional unit but fun to learn more about individual states. Wherever your summer plans take you, consider saving a postcard for the 24-25 fifth grade class.

6th graders had an amazing day at Camp Guyasuta filled with team building activities, challenges and fun!

Congratulations to Avery J. , Antwan H. and Noah H. for winning the PSA contest on our 8th grade Opioid Research Project in Math class once all of the 8th graders in Ms. Dunmire's classes voted. They won a Chick-Fil-A lunch bought by Ms. Dunmire.
Students spent the last two weeks researching Opioids and their impact throughout the past 25 years and across the United States. The purpose of this project was to reinforce our previously taught math skills and to educate our students about the dangers of Opioid use to prevent potential overdose deaths.
In 2019, nearly 50,000 people in the United States died from opioid-involved overdoses. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, he**in, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement

To end the year , students in Ms. Lucas’s class designed their own restaurant. They had to complete a series of math problems to “open” their restaurant. After, they were able to design their own menu and advertisement for their restaurant. Students were so excited to present all their hard work. Some students even got to present to Mr. Stone.

The Steel Valley School District Board of Directors has hired Dr. Brian Plichta as Assistant Superintendent of Schools. The Board of Directors officially voted to approve Dr. Plichta’s hiring during its voting meeting on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Dr. Plichta will work with Superintendent of Schools Mr. Bryan M. Macuga to oversee the district’s curriculum, instructional strategies, professional development, and management of federal programs.

https://www.steelvalleysd.org/news/1790512/steel-valley-school-district-board-of-directors-hires-dr-brian-plichta-as-assistant-superintendent-of-schools

The Steel Valley Middle School Drama Club was busy the last couple of months preparing a short program of scenes and monologues. On Thursday afternoon, they showcased those scenes during a brief performance in front of family and friends in the auditorium.

Some of the performers have appeared in Steel Valley productions in the past, while others stepped on stage for the first time. Each short scene was an opportunity for the students to show how they've developed and improve their skills over the past couple of months while working with club sponsor Ms. Christine Schott.

Emma Downey, Vivian Rusnak, Sage Dasta, Aria Yura, Anna Bouton, Nalaha Stallworth, Effie Seidling, Zakkiya Berts, Avery Bragg, Henry McCann, Cyrus Kettel, and Avery Yakubic acted out 12 different monologues or duets.

Congratulations to the students on outstanding performances! We hope to see you on stage more next school year!

Duquesne University Juneteenth Short Essay Contest
Dear Guidance Counselors and Parents,
We're excited to announce an essay writing opportunity for your elementary, middle, and high school age students. This year, Duquesne University's Office of the Chief Diversity Officer will be looking to highlight the history of Juneteenth and its importance as a national holiday by asking your students to answer the following prompt in our short essay contest!
Prompt: What does Juneteenth mean to you?
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is recognized nationally on June 19th. This day commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. We invite students to reflect on the significance of this day and share their experiences through a short essay. Tell us what this important day means to you!
Essay Guidelines:
Short essays should be between 400 - 500 words. (1 page, single spaced ).
Submissions are open to all elementary, middle, and high school age students.
Please include all available contact information on the information page.
Short essays can be submitted in the text box on the submission page or uploaded as an attached file.
Deadline for submissions is June 7th, 2024.

Contest Prizes:
The following contest prizes will be awarded to the top 3 essays submitted. K-12 essays will be judged together and winners will be chosen from the essay that best exemplifies the spirit of Juneteenth and the experiences of the student.

1st Place - $250.00
2nd Place - $100.00
3rd Place - $50.00

We encourage students to explore their thoughts about the importance of Juneteenth and express them creatively through their writing. Let's celebrate and honor this important moment in history together!

*Award winners will be notified. Winners will be asked to be recognized and receive their award and contest prize at Duquesne University's Juneteenth Program on June 19th, 2024. Information will be sent to respective recipients.*

Thank you for your submission and we look forward to your participation!

Google Forms: Sign-in Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

SV Girls Basketball Camp Info

Last chance to order a yearbook !

Tuesday night was the second half of the spring concert series at the high school and middle school. This time it was the chance for the fifth and sixth graders to shine and showcase how they've progressed over the past year.

The fifth and sixth grade band took the stage first under the direction of Ms. Malia Mueller. The band played two pieces - "At the Edge of Chaos" by Roland Barrett and "Mechanical Monsters" by Randall D. Standridge. Ms. Mueller noted that the pieces challenged the students in different ways. She also took a moment to thank the eighth graders and high school students who have served as mentors for the fifth and sixth graders over the past year.

The fifth and sixth grade Steel Valley Middle School Forge Voices took the stage next. The students performed four songs under the direction of Mr. Andrew Roberts: "Let it Be" by The Beatles, "Memories" by Adam Levine and Maroon 5, the New Zealand folk classic "The Wellerman," and the gospel tinged "I Sing Because I'm Happy."

Thanks to everyone who came out to the two shows this month to support the music department and our students!

Meeting for all boys and girls interested in middle school soccer. This Thursday, May 23 right after school in the high school cafeteria. ⚽️

Thanks to our PBIS program, our 8th graders got to enjoy a bit of sunshine today as they got to each tie-dye a t-shirt to end their middle school years! It was a great afternoon!☀️💚💛🧡❤️🩷🩵💙💜

Although today’s weather was not what we all had wished for- we had a day better than we ever could have imagined! Teamwork and collaboration made today’s field day and 8th grade Farewell Carnival a great success!
A special shout out to Mr. Strom, Mr. McCallister, Mr. Stone, Mr. Sullivan and the rest of the custodial staff for helping make today possible!
Ms. Fitzgerald and Ms. Drane were the driving force of our PTO efforts and we are forever grateful for our parent volunteers! Ms. Dunmire for helping to plan the 8th grade celebration and the farewell video.
Mr. Goga and Ms. Reilly helped organize high school volunteers to help run our stations and they were warmly received by our students. Thank you!
DJ Maggie rocked out with karaoke for our 8th graders and our students had a great time!
Mrs. Blick made a beautiful balloon arch that our students enjoyed taking photos with! Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Lastly, thank you to the MS staff and PBIS team who flawlessly moved throughout the day with our students to ensure fun was had by all!

2 Free Summer Activities for Students:
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program

• Students in grades 1-6 can earn a free book for reading 8 books. You must fill out a form including the book title, author, and your favorite part, and return it to Barnes & Noble. The form is attached.
• https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our-stores-communities/summer-reading-program/

Kids Bowl Free

• Kids ages 2-15 can play 2 free games of bowling per day over the summer. You must still pay for shoe rentals.
• Valid May 31-Aug 29
• Valid at Spins Bowl Pittsburgh (5840 Buttermilk Hollow Rd., Pittsburgh PA 15207)
• https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

With less than two weeks left in the school year, fourth graders from Barrett Elementary and Park Elementary received a glimpse of what next year holds in store for them through the district's annual Step Up Day.

The fourth graders gathered at the middle school to learn a bit about what they can expect as they make the transition to fifth grade. The students were welcomed by middle school principal Mr. Clay Stone and middle school guidance counselor Mr. Dylan O'Neill, who provided a run-through of what it's like to now be in middle school. Mr. Stone and Mr. O'Neill talked about the daily schedule, some of the activities and extracurriculars available, and multiple other topics. Students were also able to ask questions.

Current middle school students who are part of Ms. Erin Noblet's Student Government group led the fourth graders on a tour, showing them to their future classrooms, introducing them to some of the special classes they'll be able to take, and even meeting a few teachers.

After the tour concluded, the fourth graders gathered at Griffin Field for some fun activities that also helped build new friendships. Students from Barrett and Park worked together to run various relay races, go through team-building activities, and play spirited games of kickball.

Step Up Day is one of the resources Steel Valley uses every year to connect Barrett and Park students in order to help them come together and make as smooth of a transition as possible to the middle school experience. This year, fourth graders also enjoyed a joint STEM day sponsored by Bayer and the Best of the Batch Foundation. Both schools will also take part in a field day on Friday, May 17.

Middle school and high school students in grades 5 through 11 should return their district iPads next week on the specific days listed below. Please take a moment to read this letter that details the process to properly return this equipment.

https://www.steelvalleysd.org/high-school/news/1789939/ipad-collection-for-students-in-grades-511

Today our 5th graders took their field trip to Meadowcroft Village and experienced the Monongehela Indian Village which coincided with our social studies curriculum this year. Students were attentive, asked great questions, and had a lot of fun with each other.