IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2018 | Page 70

A MESSAGE FROM
Dr. Randal A. Lutz
Superintendent of Schools, Baldwin-Whitehall School District
Focusing on what matters most
Dear Friends and Families of Baldwin-Whitehall,
As 2018 comes to a close, I always enjoy looking back at the
milestones and moments that make each year special, and the
topics and ideas that drive the conversation in our District.
This year, two of the most important topics have been school
safety and learning innovation — and I think we can all agree
that we can’t truly enjoy the latter without the former. Making
sure that our students and teachers have a safe, secure, and
supportive learning environment is crucial, and achieving
this goal involves both physical safety measures and strong
communication and outreach practices.
This issue also highlights some of the amazing innovations
that our teachers, principals, and staff implement in our
classrooms. As you’ll see, today’s students have more freedom
and choice in the way they learn than ever before, and these
new opportunities lead them to collaborate and create in ways
that continue to surprise and inspire us. Thank you for all you do
to support our community of engaged and energized learners,
and for helping them become true innovators — not just in the
classroom, but in their relationships with the world itself.
Sincerely,
Dr. Randal A. Lutz
Superintendent of Schools
Baldwin-Whitehall School District
LETTER FROM
David J. Solenday
School Board President
In this issue, you can see some of the actions we have taken to
enhance school safety and stability, including ALICE emergency
training, joining Rachel’s Challenge to end bullying behavior,
incorporating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) techniques,
and creating a new Student Empowerment Committee. Our
goal of providing a safe and supportive school community is
an ongoing process, and we believe its foundation is strongest
when students have the emotional tools they need to be helpful
and invested in each other’s success.
What about You?
Dear Baldwin-Whitehall Community,
As Superintendent Lutz has noted, safety
and innovation are the twin engines of the
Baldwin-Whitehall School District. And as a
community member, you also have a role to
play in supporting both of those initiatives.
How can you help with student safety?
Simple: if you see something, say something.
Bullying behavior is very detrimental to
learning and childhood development, but
too often we overlook it or dismiss it as “kids
being kids” and just hope the problem will
solve itself. Usually, that only ends up making
it worse. Instead, consider ways that you
can help break that pattern. One big step?
Making sure that your kids use digital media
responsibly, and that you’re setting a good
example for them online.
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How can you help with student innovation?
Be a resource! So many of our classes are
getting involved in academic challenges and
community projects as a way to enhance
their learning and test their real-world skills,
and our teachers are always looking for new
partners, sponsors, and community support
for their projects. Do you have materials you
could supply to a classroom, or a challenge
to offer that would help students test their
math, science, creative, and collaborative
talents? Consider contacting our teachers and
principals and making yourself, your business,
or your organization available as a partner in
learning.
Lastly, I would like to welcome new School
Board member Peter D. Giglione. Pete is a
Penn Hills native who has lived in Baldwin
since 2007 with his wife and two daughters.
A graduate of Central Catholic High School,
Pete practices law in Pennsylvania, Ohio,
and West Virginia, and is an adjunct faculty
member at Duquesne University. I look
forward to working with Pete and our other
Board members throughout the rest of this
school year to keep Baldwin-Whitehall sailing
smoothly toward spring.
And if you have ideas for our District, I look
forward to seeing you at an upcoming School
Board meeting, too!
Best wishes for a warm winter,
David J. Solenday
School Board President
Baldwin-Whitehall School District