discovers that law may be her natural
calling.
This year’s cast was made up of 34
students including Alyssa Lorenz as Elle
Woods, Alex Almonte as Emmett Forrest,
Bella James as Brooke Wyndham, Roman
Kurz as Callahan and Sonny DeMasi as
Warner Huntington, III.
Shaler Area High School
Students Mentor
Preschoolers on Healthy
Eating
SH AL ER AR EA SC H OO L NE WS
haler Area
Shaler Area High School students
received a grant that allows them to
purchase fresh foods and share lessons
about healthy eating with preschool
students.
The high school Gifted and Talented
Education (GATE) department applied for
and was awarded a “Let’s Move Pittsburgh
Champion Schools Grant Program” small
grant through Phipps Conservatory in
late fall. The students used the money
to purchase a Community Sponsored
Agriculture (CSA) farm share through
Kretschmann Family Organic Farm.
The high school students use the fresh
produce received each month to teach
lessons to the preschool students in the
Shaler Area program about healthy eating,
farming and ecology. The produce is then
shared with the high school and preschool
participants.
Shaler Area Middle School
Students Perform “Legally
Blonde, JR.”
On Mar. 18 through 20, Shaler Area
Middle School students raised the curtain
on “Legally Blonde, JR.”
“Legally Blonde JR.” tells the story of Elle
Woods who is dumped by her boyfriend
enrolled in Harvard Law School, claiming
she isn’t “serious” enough. Elle overcomes
stereotypes, snobbery and scandal to
prove that brains and looks are not
mutually exclusive, and in the process
54 Shaler
in Allegheny, Fayette and Westmoreland
counties.
Shaler Area to House First
Allegheny County PA Pre-K
Counts Program
Two Shaler Area primary schools will
host Allegheny County’s first PA Pre-K
Counts class beginning this school year.
Both the Marzolf and Reserve Primary
schools in the Shaler Area School District
began housing a PA Pre-K Counts classa preschool program for children ages
three and four - in February. PA Pre-K
Counts is a division of the Private Industry
Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. and
funded through the state Office of Child
Development and Early Learning.
The PA Pre-K Counts program serves
children at risk of school failure either
because of income, language, cultural
environment or special needs. The
program is free to families and operates
five days per week from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. for 180 days, following the majority of
the school district’s schedule. Children are
placed in a classroom of up to 20 students
and are provided breakfast and lunch.
One of PA Pre-K Counts’ goals is to
ensure a smooth transition for children
and parents from the program into
Kindergarten. Throughout the course
of the program, young students will be
taught skills such as letter and number
recognition, emerging literacy skills and
following rules and directives in addition to
sharing and building social skills.
“We are excited to offer this program
to families in the Shaler Area School
District,” says Sean Aiken, Shaler Area
superintendent. “The program will ensure
more children have access to a quality
preschool program and the opportunity to
build a strong academic foundation before
entering Kindergarten.”
Shaler Area partnered with the Private
Industry Council of Westmoreland/
Fayette Inc. to provide the program
to the community at no cost to the
district. The Private Industry Council of
Westmoreland/Fayette Inc. is a 501(c)
(3) nonprofit organization that operates
employment, education and training
programs in southwestern Pennsylvania.
There are a total of 15 PA Pre-K Counts sites
Shaler Competition Squad
Earns Bronze Medal
Shaler Area School District is proud to
announce that the Shaler Area Varsity
Competition Squad placed third out of 37
teams in the PIAA Medium Varsity Division
on Jan. 30 in Hershey, PA , earning a bronze
medal. The team continued on to Orlando
to compete in nationals.
Shaler Area Student
Musicians Featured in 8th
Annual Shalerpalooza
Shaler Area student musicians were the
rock stars on stage in a special concert
event held on Feb. 20 to benefit Shaler
Area students. Shalerpalooza VIII, a
concert to benefit the class funds, has
become an anticipated event in the Shaler
Area community and over the past eight
years has grown to include more student
musicians and soloists.
This year, the concert featured six bands
including four student bands, a teacher
band and a band of Shaler Area alumni and
community members as well as three solo
performers, three Djs, a student beatboxer
and the Shaler Area drum line.
The event started in 2009 with a concert
by Dale Mangold’s Pittsburgh-based rock
band, Tobacco Road. Mangold, a Shaler
Area High School custodial/maintenance
staff member, has expanded the event over
the years to feature more of the student
body’s musical talents.
“I see the kids everyday here at school,
and I get to know who the musicians and
singers are,” says Mangold, who provides
encouragement and advice to the young
musicians.
More than 300 students and adults were
expected to attend this year’s event and
proceeds will be split between the four
high school class’ class funds which help
offset the cost of senior year events such