Ethan James, a sixth-grader at Shaler
Area Elementary School, took the
challenge of solving a Rubik’s Cube to the
next level when he set out to create a robot
to complete the task.
James started the project last school
year with a group of students in the Gifted
and Talented Education (GATE) program,
however they ran into problems with
the construction and programming that
they were not able to solve before the
summer. Ethan returned to school this year
with determination when he saw their
unfinished project.
“I came back and saw it sitting there
and it bothered me that it wasn’t working,”
James says.
James worked for most of the first half of
the school year to construct and program
the robot using the Lego Mindstorms EV3
robotics kit. The robot is programmed
to scan all sides of the Rubik’s Cube,
determine the solution through various
patterns, then use a robotic arm and
rotating base to turn the cube and solve
the puzzle.
James said completing the project
taught him persistence. “Every day I came
in and said ‘this is impossible, it’s never
going to work,’ and then it did,” he says.
After James completed the robot, his
father told him that he should now create
a robot that writes, and James accepted
the challenge. He now is working to design
and program a robot that will write out a
Shakespearian manuscript.
“It’s fun,” James says. “I love this whole
thing, the programming and building
things. I want to do this when I grow up.”
Shaler Area School District is proud to be
recognized as a member of the NFL’s Super
Bowl High School Honor Roll and to be
presented with a Golden Football by Shaler
Area alumnus and former NFL athlete,
Steve Sciullo.
In honor of the 50th Super Bowl this
season, the NFL is recognized the players
and coaches of past Super Bowls and their
high schools and communities through
the Super Bowl High School Honor Roll
program. This season, close to 3,000
players and head coaches, and more than
2,000 high schools were recognized.
Steve Sciullo, a 1998 Shaler Area
High School graduate, and lineman
for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super
Bowl XXXIX, presented the district with
a commemorative Golden Football
produced by Wilson, to mark the district’s
membership in the Super Bowl High
School Honor Roll.
The presentation took place during
halftime of the Shaler Area Boys Varsity
Basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the
Shaler Area High School gym.
“This is a great honor for Shaler Area
School District to be accepted into the
Super Bowl High School Honor Roll - many
high schools in the Pittsburgh area cannot
boast an athlete having participated in
an NFL Super Bowl,” says Clint Rauscher,
Shaler Area athletic director. “Many Shaler
Area athletes have excelled in our athletic
programs and represented our district
with distinction, and we are proud to
welcome Steve Sciullo as one of those
most accomplished athletes in Shaler Area
history.”
Sciullo’s talent on the gridiron grew
following his high school football
career. He received a full scholarship to
Marshall University, in WV, and started
52 consecutive games, an NCAA Football
Bowl Subdivision record at the time.
During Sciullo’s collegiate football career,
the team won three Mid-American
Conference championships and four bowl
games. Sciullo was a fourth round pick
of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2003 NFL
Draft. He started 13 games as a rookie. In
the following season, Sciullo started five
games for the Philadelphia Eagles and
played in Super Bowl XXXIX.
“I’m very excited to return to Shaler Area
and present the district with the Golden
Football,” says Steve Sciullo. “I hope Titan
pride is in full force!”
Shaler Area Expands “Team
Up for Success” Mentoring
Program During National
Mentoring Month
Shaler Area School District expanded its
“Team Up for Success” mentoring program
into an additional primary school building
during National Mentoring Month, in
January. “Team Up for Success” is a new
program that brings Shaler Area High
School student athletes into primary
school classrooms to mentor and tutor
students.
“Team Up for Success” kicked off in
October at Jeffery Primary School with
about 20 high school student athletes
working with students in kindergarten
through third-grade. Following the
program’s initial success, “Team Up for
Success” expanded into Marzolf Primary
School in January with about 35 total
high school students participating in the
program.
“I wanted to help create a sense of pride
in our academic programs and athletic
programs by bringing the two together,”
says Clint Rauscher, Shaler Area athletic
director. “The program has been very
successful, and we are happy to be able to
expand it to reach more students.”
The high school mentors work on
specific academic goals with the younger
students such as fine motor skills, math
conc epts, letter recognition or reading
practice while talking to them about their
interests whether it be sports or otherwise.
“The kids couldn’t wait for the high
school students to arrive, and they are
already asking when they are coming
back,” says Rick Pelkofer, Marzolf Primary
principal.
“Team Up for Success” runs once every
12 days to help build the relationships
between the primary students and
student-athlete mentors.
Shaler | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 55
SHAL E R ARE A SC HOOL N E WS
Shaler Area Student Builds
Robot to Solve Rubik’s Cube
Shaler Area Receives
Golden Football from NFL
Alum Through the Super
Bowl High School Honor
Roll Program
Shaler Area
as prom, banquets or graduation caps and
gowns.
“It’s important to give back to the
community,” Mangold says. “Not only is
it music, but it’s an extension of who the
community and who these kids are.