Mars School District
NEWS
Mars Area Elementary School library
so that the school’s students can learn
more about the purpose of the bench
and how it can help others.
Girls Tennis Team Ends Season
in WPIAL Playoffs
Senior Installs ‘Buddy Bench’ as
Part of Service Project
As part of an Eagle Scout community
service project, Mars Area High School
senior Michael Riggio has installed a
“Buddy Bench” on the playground at Mars
Area Elementary School.
“It’s a kind of bench that you put out
in a public place, especially at a school,
so that if a kid is feeling left out or at all
bullied in any way, he can then go and sit
there to be helped or to find a friend,” says
Riggio, a member of Scout Troop 400.
The rainbow-colored bench, made
from 540 recycled milk jugs, is engraved
with the phrase, “The only way to have a
friend is to be a friend.”
“Whenever I first moved to Mars, back
in fourth grade… it was very hard for me,
as an already very shy person, to get into
a friend group,” says Riggio. “I felt like I
could have used this when I was a kid; so,
why not take my experience and put it in
to help someone going through the same
exact experience.”
The project is a continuation of Mars
Area School District’s participation in the
“Rachel’s Challenge” positive
school culture program, which
focuses on replacing acts of
violence, bullying, and negativity
with acts of respect, kindness
and compassion, says Riggio.
The program is based on the life
and writings of Rachel Joy Scott,
the first victim of the Columbine
High School tragedy.
In addition, Riggio has
donated the book, “The Buddy
Bench,” by Patty Brozo to the
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Mars Area High School Girls Varsity
Tennis Team advanced to the first round
of the 2019 WPIAL Class 3A Girls Varsity
Team Tennis Championships on Oct. 10,
but was defeated 5-0 by the Fox Chapel
Foxes.
The Lady Planets defeated the West
Allegheny Indians 3-1 in the preliminary
round of the WPIAL playoffs on Oct.
8. The team ended the 2019 regular
season with an overall record of 10-3
and 7-3 in Section 2-3A.
This season, the Lady Planets took
first place at the MAC (Midwestern
Athletic Conference) Girls Varsity Team
Tennis Tournament. Team members
who competed at the tournament
included seniors Julia McCarty and
Emma Nelson; juniors Riya Cherlakola,
Isabella Gaydosh, Emily Ivory and
Alexandra Knotts; and sophomore
Lauren Miko.
Junior Isabella Gaydosh took third
place overall at the 2019 Girls Varsity
Tennis Section 2-3A Singles Tournament
and advanced to the first round of the
2019 WPIAL Girls Varsity Tennis Singles
Championships. Junior Emily Ivory
advanced to the quarterfinals of the
section tournament.
The doubles teams of juniors Isabella
Gaydosh and Emily Ivory and seniors
icmags.com
Julia McCarty and Emma Nelson advanced
to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Girls Varsity
Tennis Section 2-3A Doubles Tournament.
Other players on this year’s team
included juniors Chloe Ceasar, Riya
Cherlakola, Peyton Felicetti, Sara Hart, Janie
Hodder and Anita Kaul; sophomore Julia
Rice; and freshmen Carla Genevro, Blythe
McClure, Grace Roda, Sydney Terzich and
Autumn Wilson.
For more information, visit wpial.org.
Elementary School Engages
Students with Sensory Path
Mars Area Elementary School students
have been hopping, skipping and jumping
to class since the start of the school year, as
the school has installed a new Sensory Path
in its fourth grade hallway.
Instead of just walking down a typical
hallway, students can take a Sensory Path,
which asks them to complete a variety
of activities, such as wall push-ups, a
crab walk, leapfrog, planet bounce, an
ant march, yoga poses and more. The
pathway also includes positive messages
throughout.
Stephanie Graff, along with her
fellow fourth grade teachers, Chris
Petrini and Jamie Waters, worked to
install the Sensory Path before the
start of school.
Students may use the Sensory Path
on the way to the Nurse’s Office, or
coming back from the restroom or
lunch, or even sometimes when they
just need a break from learning.