A
pair of North Hills School District students recently
orchestrated their fourth unique, weeklong cancer
awareness event that raised hundreds of dollars for a
local charity.
North Hills High School seniors Sarah Glatz and Margot
California serve on the Teen Advisory Council at Our
Clubhouse, and their event garnered approximately $1,100
for the organization.
The girls brainstormed, planned and coordinated their
fourth annual Cancer Awareness Week at North Hills High
School. Over the past four years of high school, the event has
raised approximately $2,500.
Each day, a different cancer was recognized and signified
by a different color. Throughout the week, the pair educated
their peers about melanoma, prostate and colon cancer, lung
cancer, breast cancer and the mission of Our Clubhouse,
formerly known as Gilda’s Club Western Pennsylvania.
They sold beaded bracelets at lunch that could be
donated to Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC for patients
undergoing cancer treatments. Sarah and Margot plan to
deliver the bracelets to patients along with handmade cards
of support.
With the help of National Honor Society members, the pair
created 7,000 ribbons of various colors that were distributed
to students in homeroom to wear throughout each day and
20 informational posters with cancer facts or prevention
information.
To make the event relevant to their peers, the pair oversaw
the creation of a remembrance wall that displayed cards
handwritten by students and teachers that contained a
remembrance of someone who died from cancer or in
celebration of someone who fought cancer.
Based in the Strip District neighborhood of Pittsburgh,
Our Clubhouse is a warm and welcoming place where men,
women, teens, and children diagnosed with cancer, and
family and friends, join with others to build social, emotional
and informational support as a supplement to medical care.
For more information, visit www.ourclubhouse.org.
Ross Township | Summer 2016 | icmags.com 39
N OR TH HI L L S SC HOOL DI STRI C T N E WS
NH Seniors
Orchestrate
Unique Cancer
Awareness Week
N
orth Hills High School’s Wind Ensemble was selected out of
hundreds of high school music groups for one of the highest
musical honors in Pennsylvania.
The district’s premier wind and percussion musicians performed
at the 2016 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA)
Conference in Hershey in March. Their concert was attended
by educators, professors, presenters and exhibitors from across
the state who attend the annual conference. The ensemble also
performed during a convention session “Sousa Marches as Essential
Band Repertoire” with John Phillip Sousa scholar Keith Brion.
“I liken this honor to winning the curricular state championship,”
Len Lavelle, North Hills High School band and orchestra director.
“It is acknowledgement of our students’ achievement in class each
day and the instruction they have received since elementary school.
This invitation is the highest recognition for a concert band in the
state of Pennsylvania. Many aspire for this opportunity, and few are
ever selected.”
More than 130 vocal and instrumental ensembles applied to be
featured at the conference through a taped recording, and the PMEA
invited only handful of model ensembles to perform throughout
the conference. Ensembles are permitted to audition only every
other year. North Hills bands have been invited to perform a feature
concert at the last three conventions that they were eligible to
attend.
The high school’s woodwind ensemble consists of 48 musicians
in grades 9 to 12. All ensemble members are selected through an
audition process.
Nor th Hills School District
High School
Wind Ensemble
Selected for
Statewide Honor