2015-2016 fox chapel area school district state of the schools
• Teachers across the district have been trained to encourage students to become makers and support interdisciplinary project-based learning .
• The district received a $ 20,000 STEAM ( Science , Technology , Engineering , the Arts , and Mathematics ) grant through the Center for Creativity , the Benedum Foundation , and The Grable Foundation . The grant will be used to create a stationary makerspace adjacent to the school library , as well as mobile maker carts at Dorseyville Middle School . The mobile carts will be designed and built by the students .
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• For the fifth year in a row , the Fox Chapel Area School District was named among the 2016 Best Communities for Music Education .
• High school junior Philip Swigon ( bassoon ) was selected by audition to perform with the prestigious 2015 National Association for Music Education All-National Concert Band . The band was made up of approximately 150 of the top student musicians from all 50 states .
• High School sophomore Elizabeth Kauma won an American Visions Medal for her photograph entitled “ Harmony in Solitude ” in the national 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards . She was invited to attend the national awards ceremony in New York City where her photograph was on display at Carnegie Hall .
• The high school 2014-2015 literary arts magazine “ Tapestry ” was named a first place winner in the 2015 American Scholastic Press Association ’ s Annual Contest / Review for Scholastic Magazines . “ Tapestry ” also won a first place with special merit award . Additionally , 2015 graduate Faith Kim won the distinction of “ Outstanding Artist ” for her artwork that appeared in the magazine .
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Beginning in kindergarten , students program Bee-Bots that move to specific letters on a floor map .
Students at Kerr conducted a project where they studied playgrounds and landscaping and built prototypes of what their playground would look like . Additionally , Fairview second graders visited Salamander Park where they studied the concepts of engineering and habitats through projectbased learning . They also created dioramas to demonstrate deeper learning .
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