BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME INDUCTS THREE NEW MEMBERS aldwin-Whitehall
BALDWIN-WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
BALDWIN-WHITEHALL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION Continuing to Enhance Education in the District
Baldwin-Whitehall Educational Foundation is a nonprofit organization that funds innovation grants for District faculty and scholarships for graduating seniors at Baldwin High School. It has been a banner year for BWEF, as it hosted three successful fundraisers and saw a change in leadership— all in just six months.
In March, the BWEF Distinguished Highlanders Hall of Fame Gala at South Hills Country Club brought together nearly 200 Highlander supporters. This year’ s honorees included four Distinguished Highlander Hall of Fame inductees, six Champions of Character, and ten Above and Beyond awardees. In July, BWEF hosted a successful happyhour fundraiser at Peter’ s Pub in Oakland. The organization intends to host similar gatherings in Baldwin and Whitehall this spring, so be on the lookout for an announcement. The final fundraiser in August was the second-annual golf outing at Westwood Golf Club. Golfing foursomes, hole sponsorships, and donors nearly doubled from last year’ s inaugural outing.
School District and local support are integral reasons for BWEF’ s success. Community partners have grown to 143 different donors that include alumni, individuals, families, and local businesses. Donor generosity has allowed BWEF to create an Alumni Hall of Fame, provide additional capacity for the Highlander Simulator at Harrison Middle School, equip every kindergarten classroom with a Discovery Station, support the development of a mobile fab lab, and grant $ 4,000 in scholarships to seniors at Baldwin High School.
In October, new leadership was introduced: Erik Arroyo, president; Diane Kennard, vice president; John Wotus, treasurer; and Kim Thorne, secretary. Successful foundations rely on strong connections with school board officials, alumni, and community members to grow and increase its impact over time. The new leadership group will look to sustain the momentum gained in 2017 and take BWEF to new heights in 2018.
You can read more about the foundation and find out how to volunteer at bwef. weebly. com.
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The Baldwin High School Hall of Fame Induction ceremony was held on Friday, September 29th at Baldwin HS Stadium during the Highlander Football game vs. North Hills. Congratulations to the 2017 Hall of Fame inductees:
David Adley: WPIAL Cross Country Champion, 2007
Brittney Edwards: Track & Field- WPIAL Long Jump Champion, 2009 Track & Field- WPIAL Long Jump & Triple Jump Champion, 2010
Belma Nurkic: 1st Team All-State Basketball Champion & 1000 Point Scorer, 2010
These athletes have accomplished a great deal and the District is proud of David, Brittney, and Belma, who will always be Fighting Highlanders at heart.
PARTNERS PE PROGRAM Teaching Students Life Skills That Last
The Partners PE Program at Baldwin follows the philosophy of“ play together, live together.” By teaching students how to play together, they learn how to live together, creating an environment of acceptance and inclusion for people with and without disabilities. The model is based on matching students with and without disabilities together in the same class. Student athletes who have a disability will receive support and guidance to participate in activities from partner students who do not have a disability. In addition to participating in typical physical education games and activities, students in this class also take part in team-building activities to work on skills like socialization, achieving personal goals, and understanding differences. The program began in 2002 and is now offered during two periods, each day, in the fall and spring semesters.
Since its inception at Baldwin High School, the Partners PE program has been a beacon for neighboring school districts who have integrated this approach into their programs. These schools with partner-style programs have formed a group called Schools Together with Athletes Reaching Success( S. T. A. R. S.). The schools in S. T. A. R. S. collaborate on social and athletic events several times a year, taking turns hosting everything from basketball, volleyball, or soccer tournaments to holiday dances.
Students form lasting bonds through the class that transcend school halls. Teacher, Timothy Laughlin, explained,“ I just talked to one of our teachers and past partner( Mr. Anthony Barbano) in the hallways today, and he is going to go to a Penguins game with one of our former athletes, whom he befriended back when he went to high school. We even had a marriage take place this past summer because of this class. The relationships are authentic and long-lasting.”
Students love participating, so much so that some continue to participate as partners even if they don’ t need the academic credit. Student, Carly Santillo, shared,“ This class has been an amazing experience. I plan on going into Special Education and this class has developed me in not only working with people with disabilities, but it has taught me more about life as a whole. Everyone is awesome and no matter the circumstances, everyone is a team and works together. It’ s a great experience, and one of the most memorable of my high school career.”