Preparing PHMS Students for College and Careers
It is never too early to start preparing students for what lies beyond their years here at West
Jefferson Hills. During the last school year and over the summer, PHMS staff and School Counselor,
Jessica Lee, reviewed and revamped our Career and Work Education curricular plans to ensure
students are thinking about college and career choices that lie ahead. The Career Education and
Work Standards address four areas of knowledge: Career Awareness and Preparation, Career
Acquisition (Getting a Job), Career Retention and Advancement and Entrepreneurship. In addition
to the career units students complete during Family Consumer Science and Applied Engineering
and Technology courses, students will participate in the following activities for the 2016-17 school
year:
• Grade 6- Students will be introduced to a variety of career and employment opportunities using
Career Cruising web-based portal. Students will also visit Steel Center for Career and Technical
Education.
• Grade 7- Students will continue to track their career interests and skills using Career Cruising
web-portal. All students will select one local university/college (from a list of five) to visit
and tour learning more about college opportunities.
• Grade 8- Students will begin to refine their ideas about future careers. Students will participate
in a career fair. The career fair is done in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, local
businesses, and parent volunteers.
Thank you to all the professionals who participated in last year’s career fair including: Joseph
Covelli of Covelli Law Offices, Cheryl Freedman of United Airlines, Les George of The Georgetown
Centre, Dr. Raymond Gronlund and Dr. Justin Lysoght of Gronlund Physical Therapy, Kellie Kobert of
Prints Charming Photography, Marianne Neel of Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, Officer Ronald
Porupsky of Pleasant Hills Police Department, Paulette Skillman of Jefferson Regional Medical
Center, Sgt. Matthew Turk of the US Army, and Michael Yerega of USX Federal Credit Union.
✩ “Remembering 9/11: Honoring American Courage” ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
Pleasant Hills Middle School staff and students will commemorate the fifteen-year anniversary of September 11,
2001. Our goal is for the students to not only remember the events of September 11 but also the courage Americans
displayed during those tragic events and the days and years that followed. A special assembly is being planned for
Friday, September 9, 2016. The program will begin with the playing of the Star Spangled Banner by our 7th and 8th
grade band and orchestra members. Teachers and staff will share their memories of 9/11 in a brief video entitled, “Where
Were You?” Representatives from local EMS, Fire and Police Departments will be on hand to participate in the program.
Students will proceed from the gym to the flag pole outside the building for an honor guard ceremony conducted by
the Baldwin EMS Department. Students in all grades will also travel to Shanksville, PA to visit the Flight 93 Memorial.
West Jefferson Hills | Fall 2016 | icmags.com 47
W E ST J E FFE RSON HI L L S SC HOOL DI ST RIC T NE WS - P LE A S A N T H ILLS M ID D LE S C HO OL
DAN COMO, PRINCIPAL
West Jefferson Hills
Hills Middle School