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f ox c hapel a r ea s chool d is tr ict | s tat e of t he s chools
Service to the Community
Throughout the year, district schools raised money for local, national, and international
organizations. Students continued to support local and national veterans’ groups. They also
collected money and food to help support the Backpack for Hunger program in the district
and collected items for hurricane victims. Students and staff at each of the individual schools
conducted other community service projects throughout the year.
• Fox Chapel Area School District students and staff held their annual telethon December 22,
2017, and raised nearly $39,000 for Make-A-Wish® Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
A longtime annual event, the telethon has raised more than $805,000 since its inception and
has benefi tted local and regional charities. All six schools in the district participated.
• Fox Chapel Area High School – Students volunteered at a food bank and held a Thanksgiving food
drive. Students also collected specifi c items for All of Us Care, provided food for Meals on Wheels
in Blawnox, and participated in the Polar Plunge to benefi t Special Olympics.
• Dorseyville Middle School – A new program at the middle school, a breakfast on September
11 for fi rst responders, honored those in the local community who protect residents. Other
projects included: a teddy bear collection for Family House in Shadyside, the annual Turkey
Trot to help families in need, and a benefi t talent showcase for The Highmark Caring Place.
Additionally, students sorted and packed clothing for shipment to third-world countries.
• Fairview Elementary School – Students and staff donated to the Foster Love Project, an organization
that provides comfort items for children in the foster care system in the Pittsburgh area. They also
donated to the Children’s Institute, the Ronald McDonald House, and the VA Hospital.
• Hartwood Elementary School – Students and staff conducted a clothing drive for an elementary school
in Key West, Florida, in response to Hurricane Irma. Additionally, the Hartwood community worked
together to raise money, as well as collected food and paper goods, for the Network of Hope Food Pantry.
• Kerr Elementary School – Students and staff collected money and presents for the local holiday
Give A Gift Drive for All of Us Care in Sharpsburg. They also participated in a new effort, the Kerr
Kindness Rocks initiative. Rocks were painted with positive messages and placed around the
school and local community.
• O’Hara Elementary School – Students and staff collected gift cards that were donated to families
in need within their school for Thanksgiving. The fourth and fi fth grade chorus visited Lighthouse
Pointe during the holidays to celebrate with local senior citizens, and O’Hara students were paired
with senior citizen grandbuddies from Seneca Hills Village for monthly visits. Additionally, the
teachers also donated money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
• District Staff – In addition to helping with individual projects at their schools, teachers
continued to support the community in various ways. This included a snack drive as part of the
homecoming football game to benefi t the local Backpack for Hunger program and All of Us
Care. Additionally, the group held a food drive as part of the district’s annual wellness fair and
also held a blanket drive for the Pittsburgh area homeless.
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FOX CHAPEL AREA