IN Fox Chapel Area Spring 2017 | Page 15

FOX CHAPEL AREA MAKES AP DISTRICT HONOR ROLL

The Fox Chapel Area School District is one of 433 school districts in the United States and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7 th Annual AP District Honor Roll . Schools included on the AP ( Advanced Placement ) honor roll showed significant gains in students ’ access and success . To be included , the district had to , since 2014 , increase the number of students participating in AP , while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher . Reaching these goals shows that the Fox Chapel Area School District is successfully identifying motivated , academically-prepared students who are ready for higher-level courses . Districts on the honor roll are also committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds .

Fox Chapel Area High School Lead Principal Michael Hower is very proud of the high school students and staff . “ This recognition reinforces the fact that our school community is special ,” he said . “ The supportive , dedicated nature of our staff , coupled with the internal drive of our students , is a recipe for success .” In fact , this recognition is especially significant for Fox Chapel Area because increasing the number of students taking AP courses and exams has been a district goal for the last decade .

In 2016 , AP test scores were submitted to more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world and students received college credit , advanced placement , or both , and / or consideration in the admissions process . Inclusion on the 7 th Annual AP District Honor Roll was based on a review of three years of AP data , from 2014 to 2016 , looking across 37 AP Exams , including world language and culture . ox Chapel Area FOX CHAPEL AREA SCHOOL NEWS

SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY SING CONCERT – MARCH 31

The Fox Chapel Area School District will be hosting a special community sing concert Friday , March 31 , at 7 p . m . at the high school . The concert will feature the district ’ s elementary choirs , as well as very special guest , Nick Page . Mr . Page is a Boston-based composer , conductor , and author who is best known for his song leading .

The special evening program will feature a song composed by Mr . Page and commissioned by the school district ’ s music department , entitled “ Train Song .” The piece combines the American railroad song “ Nine Hundred Miles ” with a South‐African train song , “ Mbombela .” The elementary student choirs will be singing and accompanying the song on Orff and other percussion instruments . Mr . Page will also lead the entire audience in a singalong as part of the performance .

Mr . Page ’ s visit and the community sing concert is being made possible through the use of the Fox Chapel Area School District Gala funds . The district held a Community Gala in 2012 to raise money to benefit the arts programs in the district .

The concert will be the culminating event of Mr . Page ’ s visit . He will also spend time at all four Fox Chapel Area School District elementary schools March 30 and 31 where he will work with each schools ’ choir and then hold all‐school assemblies .

Composer , conductor , author , and song leader Nick Page .

According to Kerr Elementary music teacher and elementary music department chair Christy Ehman , everyone is looking forward to Mr . Page ’ s visit with the students and the special evening community concert . “ Our department is so appreciative that our district values and supports the arts for all children and families , and that the district promotes music education at all levels through a variety of opportunities for our students ,” she said . “ The elementary choral students are especially excited about this performance since ‘ Train Song ’ was written specifically for them .”

The event is free and all district residents are invited to attend this very special program in the high school auditorium .

Photo Courtesy Nick Page

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