IN Bethel Park Fall 2017 | Page 62

BETHEL PARK HIGH SCHOOL GERMAN TEACHER RECEIVES KLETT-USA AWARD B ethel Park High School German Teacher Christopher Tobias received the Klett- USA Award from the American Association of Teachers of German and Klett-USA North America. The award was presented to Mr. Tobias in recognition of the outstanding achievements of his students on the 2017 National German Exams, sponsored by AATG. Bethel Park High School German Teacher The award consisted Christopher Tobias of a certificate and a German grammar textbook from the Klett Publishing Company. This is the third time Mr. Tobias has received this award from AATG. Previously, he received the award in 2002 and 2009. BETHEL PARK HIGH SCHOOL RECEIVES BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM GRANT B ethel Park High School Science Teachers Monica Graziani and Alex Winschel received a $600 Equipment Grant from the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh for laboratory equipment that will enhance students’ understanding of spectroscopy, which is the study of interaction between matter and light. With the grant, the teachers were able to purchase SpectroVis Plus Spectrophotometers, which will be used in Biology and Chemistry classes to study light. The equipment is compatible with the one-to-one Chromebooks the students use on a daily basis, as well as the LabQuest software the students have access to in the Science Laboratory. The award was presented at a May award ceremony hosted by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh on the Duquesne University campus. Bethel Park High School Science Teachers Monica Graziani (left) and Alex Winschel (right) are honored at the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh’s award ceremony. TWO FRANKLIN TEACHERS RECEIVE APPLE AWARDS T wo Benjamin Franklin Elementary School Teachers received the Apple Award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National State Teachers of the Year: Health and (Left to right): Donna DeCarlo and Lauren Onorato Physical Education Teacher Donna DeCarlo and Special Education Teacher Lauren Onorato. They were nominated for this award by 2017 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist, Franklin Fourth Grade Teacher Katherine Meucci. Apple Awards are presented to Pennsylvania educators for their exceptional efforts in teaching, coaching and other efforts that support educational excellence. Apple Awards also recognize members of the educational community who make a positive difference in the lives of their students, school districts and communities. In her nomination of Ms. DeCarlo, Mrs. Meucci writes: “Ms. DeCarlo is dedicated to the task of impressing the importance of physical fitness on her students at every age level. Within the gym setting, she will use a mixture of traditional warmup/stretching and fun filled game activities to get the kids active. She works 60 Bethel Park efficiently to implement well-structured lessons to fit into the curriculum that keeps students focused, engaged, active and interested. “Ms. DeCarlo has demonstrated time and again that she is an exceptional communicator and gifted teacher. She is a humble and approachable person who loves to share her love of physical fitness with her students and is a model citizen of the Bethel Park community.” Mrs. Meucci shared the following thoughts about Miss Onorato in her nomination of her: “Miss Onorato is an innovator for her students; she constantly searches and combines multiple resources to help students understand and master concepts. She is a master of classroom management and is able to manage groups throughout a single block of instruction in order to reinforce previously taught skills, while also allowing for smaller group instruction. She goes above and beyond to support all students, even students who aren’t on her caseload. “She has effectively created a culture of high expectations for all students by setting the classroom rules and expectations for learning. Not only does she foster positive and trusting relationships with each student, she goes beyond to include the families in this relationship.” In recognition, each awardee was sent an Apple Award Certificate and their names will be listed as Apple Award recipients in the NSTOY-PA newsletter and website. Earlier this school year, Franklin Teachers Brittany Cook and Lindsay Crowley were also presented with Apple Awards.