Foundation for Education Makes it a Sundae to Remember
Pleasant Hills Middle School a“ School to Watch” Once Again
Pleasant Hills Middle School, part of the West Jefferson Hills School District, has been redesignated as a PA Don Eichhorn Schools:“ School to Watch.” The“ Schools to Watch” program was developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education( PAMLE). The school was recognized during the PAMLE state conference in February for their achievement. PHMS was also recognized at the National Association for Middle Level Education conference in June in Washington DC. Teachers Charles LoPresit and Linda Prah, school principal Dan Como and superintendent Janet Sardon were present at the conference to accept the national designation.
Launched in 1999,“ Schools to Watch” began as a national program to identify middlegrades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 researched based criteria developed by the National Forum. Unlike the Blue Ribbon program, the“ Schools to Watch” initiative requires schools to not only identify strengths but demonstrate progress on specific goals.
As an active“ School to Watch,” Pleasant Hills Middle School will now collaborate with educators from across the country to highlight its academic programs, initiatives, and success stories.
est Jefferson Hills WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
LEADING LEARNING:
Dr. Kuhse Named Director of Curriculum
The West Jefferson Hills School District is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Erikka Kuhse as the Director of Curriculum. Dr. Kuhse brings a deep commitment to academic excellence, instructional innovation, and studentcentered learning to this districtwide leadership role.
Dr. Kuhse most recently served as the Assistant Principal at Thomas Jefferson High School, where she demonstrated strong leadership and a passion for supporting both student and staff growth. Prior to her work in school administration, she taught high school physics at Thomas Jefferson High School as well as James River High School in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
In her new position, Dr. Kuhse will oversee curriculum and instructional initiatives across all grade levels, with a focus on aligning teaching and learning to best support student achievement and lifelong success.
“ I’ m excited for the opportunity to take a deeper dive into what we’ re teaching and learning across all grade levels,” said Dr. Kuhse.“ I look forward to contributing in a greater capacity to the forward momentum of the West Jefferson Hills School District— ensuring every student receives an educational experience that is both personalized and positive, so that they are fully supported in their success.”
The district looks forward to the impact Dr. Kuhse will make as she steps into this new role, continuing to build on West Jefferson Hills’ tradition of excellence.
Foundation for Education Makes it a Sundae to Remember
The West Jefferson Hills School District Foundation for Education( FFE) kicked off the school year in the sweetest way possible by hosting its annual Ice Cream Social at the Thomas Jefferson High School Student Center. With over 700 coloring contest entries submitted, this year’ s event was one of the most colorful and exciting celebrations we’ ve had so far.
Families and students enjoyed an afternoon packed with fun and creativity. The event featured outdoor games, rock painting, a temporary tattoo station, a photo booth, exciting raffle prizes, and of course plenty of delicious ice cream. The Ice Cream Social offered something for everyone and brought the community together to celebrate the final days of summer. Congratulations to the coloring contest winners in each grade level: Savanna Hodges – Kindergarten Presley McMunn – Kindergarten Jonas Bozga – 1st Grade Amelia Mongelli – 1st Grade Hazel Todd – 1st Grade
Thomas Kufen – 2nd Grade Liam Molanick – 2nd Grade Frankie DiSciullo – 3rd Grade Richard Chen – 4th Grade Devan Ondecko – 5th Grade
The Foundation extends a heartfelt thank you to Clearview Federal Credit Union for their generous sponsorship, as well as to the dedicated student volunteers from Thomas Jefferson High School who helped run activities and support the event’ s success.
Proceeds from the Ice Cream Social directly benefit the Foundation for Education, which funds innovative teacher grants to enhance learning experiences across the district. These grants support projects that inspire creativity, engagement, and deeper learning opportunities for WJHSD students.
To learn more about the Foundation for Education and its impact, visit the district website at www. wjhsd. net.
42 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS