DORSEYVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL WINS $45,000 FOR TECHNOLOGY

Dorseyville Middle School in the Fox Chapel Area School District has been named one of five nationwide grand-prize winners in the sixth annual Win a Wireless Lab sweepstakes. As a winner, the school will receive approximately $45,000 worth of technology equipment from the sponsors of the contest, CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation and a leading source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to educators and governments, and from Discovery Education, the leader in digital video and multimedia-based learning. Each grand-prize winning school will receive a 21st-century classroom, complete with wireless tablet PCs, interactive classroom equipment, and digital equipment.

"With increased use of classroom technology, teachers and administrators consistently report heightened student engagement and enthusiasm for learning," said Bob Kirby, senior director for K-12 education, CDW-G. "Win a Wireless Lab gives students and teachers access to 21st-century classroom tools to foster creativity, collaboration, and independent learning."

"Since 2003, Discovery Education has been a proud partner with CDW-G in the Win a Wireless Lab program, which has opened doors to new learning experiences at 18 schools with state-of-the-art technology," said Mary Rollins, director, Discovery Education. "In addition, this year Discovery Education is giving each grand prize winner a $5,000 software grant, enabling the schools to select learning resources to help meet students' specific needs."

Each of the five grand-prize winning schools will receive a 21st-century classroom valued at approximately $50,000, including: a $5,000 Discovery Education software grant; 20 tablet PCs from HP, Lenovo, or Toshiba; three wireless access points from D-Link, Linksys, or NETGEAR; one Bretford mobile cart; one Promethean Activboard; 20 Promethean Activote responders; one video projector from Epson or NEC Solutions; one AVerMedia document camera; two Sony digital cameras; two Sony camcorders; and one laser jet printer from Epson or HP. The other four grand-prize winning schools are Springwood School in Lanett, Alabama; Rector A. Jones Middle School in Florence, Kentucky; St. Michael School in Cranford, New Jersey; and Vermont Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, California.

According to Mike Wolinsky, sixth grade technology education teacher at Dorseyville Middle School, "The wireless lab is the next step toward creating a more interactive and engaged learning environment. The technology will help us meet the goals outlined in our '2008 Technology Framework,' designed to build students' 21st-century learning skills and to promote critical thinking and differentiated instruction."

CDW-G and Discovery Education will provide installation and onsite professional development to the schools this fall. Overall, this year's Win a Wireless Lab program awarded prizes to 25 schools nationwide, totaling more than $300,000.

HIGH SCHOOL OFFERS 10-TICKET ATHLETIC GAME PLAN DISCOUNT

The Fox Chapel Area High School Athletic Department is offering a discounted ticket booklet for the 2008-2009 school year. The booklet contains tickets that entitle the purchaser to attend any 10 Fox Chapel Area High School home athletic events during the 2008-2009 school year (with the exception of football). It is not necessary for the tickets to be used for entrance to the same sport and the cost for the discounted ticket booklet is $25 for adults and $15 for students. The cost savings to those who purchase the booklet will be $25 for adults and a $15 savings for students and the tickets can be used for entrance into any sport of the purchaser's choosing, except football.

It is important to note that, although the tickets can be used for admission into most home athletic events, the Fox Chapel Area High School Athletic Department does reserve the right to exclude certain athletic events.

The ticket packages go on sale July 29, 2008, and will be sold Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the high school athletic office. The ticket booklet can also be purchased at the gate of the various sporting events. For further information please call the Fox Chapel Area High School Athletic Department at 412/967-2421. Only checks and cash can be accepted, no credit card orders. Fox Chapel Area High School is located at 611 Field Club Road in O'Hara Township.

FOX CHAPEL AREA HIGH SCHOOL SPONSORS PRESCHOOL

The Family and Consumer Sciences Department at Fox Chapel Area High School will sponsor a preschool program for children this fall and winter (mid-September through January). The preschool will operate one session each day from 9:30-10:45 a.m., four days a week (Monday through Thursday), for approximately 10-12 weeks. The fee is $60 and the program is open to children ages three, four, and five.

Under the direction of teacher Barbara Miller, the preschool will be staffed by Fox Chapel Area High School students studying child development. A full program of art, science, language arts, and math will be presented to the children each day, along with snack time, story circle time, and a large muscle activity. Additionally, each child will receive a memory book as a final project from the high school students. For more information and details, contact Barbara Miller at 412/967-2400, voice mail number 1711#.

HARTWOOD ELEMENTARY AWARDED A GRANT THROUGH THE HIGHMARK HEALTHY HIGH 5 SCHOOL CHALLENGE

Grant will provide resources to develop and implement a program aimed at bully prevention.

Hartwood Elementary School in the Fox Chapel Area School District has been awarded a Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grant of $10,000 to implement a program aimed to address the growing issue of bullying. Studies illustrate that the health habits children develop at a young age will continue with them through adulthood and the grant will support Hartwood's efforts in introducing programs that will ultimately create healthier, more successful students.

Hartwood Elementary School will be using the grant money to implement a schoolwide bully prevention program, including the purchase of interactive whiteboards. The program is expected to reach all Hartwood Elementary School students in kindergarten-grade five.

The Highmark Foundation, through the Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge, awarded in March 2008 a total of more than $605,000 in grants to 75 schools in 21 counties across Pennsylvania for programs that address bullying prevention and self-esteem, improve nutrition education, enhance nutrition choices, and provide opportunities for physical activity.

Highmark Healthy High 5 is a five-year, $100 million children's health promotion initiative of the Highmark Foundation. The mission of the initiative is to improve the health of children and adolescents ages 6-18 by providing them with the tools and practices needed to make informed decisions about living healthier lives. Highmark Healthy High 5 addresses five critical children's health promotion issues  nutrition, physical activity, self-esteem, grieving, and bullying prevention  by raising awareness, changing behavior through grants and programs, and providing resources to parents, schools, and communities served by the Highmark Foundation.

Highmark Healthy High 5 is an initiative of the Highmark Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org or call 1-800-789-1726.

DISTRICT WINS AWARDS IN NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS CONTEST

Four Fox Chapel Area School District publications received national awards in the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) 2008 Publications and Electronic Media Contest. The district received an Award of Excellence (the highest honor) for the Dorseyville Middle School promotional brochure. The district received an Award of Merit for the "2006-2007 Annual Report & State of the Schools." The district received Awards of Honorable Mention for the "Community Newsletter" (spring 2007 budget issue) in the finance publication/presentation category and for the "Fox Chapel Area High School 2008-2009 Course Description Guide."

There were a total of 895 entries in the publications portion of this year's national contest. Of those, 76 Awards of Excellence, 206 Awards of Merit, and 223 Awards of Honorable Mention were given to school districts from across the nation. The district will receive plaques and certificates in honor of the awards.

Fox Chapel Area School District's winning publications were coordinated by Bonnie Berzonski, the district's coordinator of communications.