Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Visits Woodland Hills Special Education Classes oodland Hills
WOODLAND HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE WOODLAND HILLS FOUNDATION.
On Monday, March 13, two members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra( PSO) visited Woodland Hills Junior Senior High School as part of a community outreach program to perform for the Life Skills Department students and faculty. This visit was coordinated by Mr. McKee to provide an enrichment activity for students who may not otherwise have such an opportunity.
Gloria Mou, Coordinator of Community Engagement at the PSO, was kind enough to bring Anne Williams and Lorna McGhee to our stage. Anne Williams has been the principal cellist at the PSO for 41 years. Lorna McGhee is the principal flutist. Also in attendance was Joe Williams, Anne’ s husband. He is a well-known trombone player and has been the Youth Minister of Beverly Heights Church for 18 years.
Prior to the concert, our excellent music director Mr. Tom Crone took time off from his duties preparing for the spring musical to clear the auditorium for these world class musicians. He also gave them a tour of our music facilities and highlighted our successful music program.
The concert was a rousing success. The students were glued to the performance from start to finish and responded with many compliments and questions for the musicians, who took time between each piece to explain the music and teach the students about their instruments and background.
Following the concert, the guests were treated to a tour of the school. Lorna and Anne were impressed with Mr. Venesky’ s classroom where students were working on a project making sleeping mats for the Pittsburgh area homeless using plastic shopping bags. Mr. Venesky is new to the district this year and is proving to be an incredible addition to the already amazing staff.
Next, they visited the classroom of Ms. Schieb, a 7-9th grade Special Education teacher. The visitors were amazed to find out that when Ms. Schieb is not busy teaching, she is prolifically active in the Woodland Hills community and surrounding areas. She was named Big of the Year of Pennsylvania for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has been matched with her little sister, Shyae, from Mt. Oliver for six and a half years. She serves as the co-chair of the Big Recruitment Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters recruiting future Bigs for Littles awaiting matches. Recently, she was featured on 92.9 radio on Monday April 17 and will appear on“ Talking Pittsburgh” with Jonas Chaney on WPXI on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. She will also receive a Proclamation from the City and County Council from Councilman Tom Baker of District 1 and will be honored by Governor Tom Wolf on May 11, 2017 in Harrisburg. In addition, she is a track coach at the high school and a tutor in the community.
The visitors were treated to a tour of our amazing athletic department where they met Mrs. Knight, administrative assistant to legendary football coach George Novak and Assistant Athletic Director, Mr. Tim Bostard. They were impressed with all of the memorabilia including football helmets signed and given as gifts to Coach Novak from former players who have gone on to football careers. They viewed our Wall of Fame which highlights our many graduates who have succeeded in their dreams of playing in the NFL and positively representing the Woodland Hills community, including our recent Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Jason Taylor.
The final stop on their visit was to Mr. McKee’ s classroom to bid farewell to the students they had so graciously entertained. They were impressed by recent classroom renovations that the students had helped complete. After learning of a research project that touted the academic and social advantages of flexible classroom seating, the students advocated for a change in their classroom environment. Without hesitation, Mrs. Mary Linsinbigler and her husband generously donated funds to provide the materials necessary to turn the classroom into an oasis of learning and comfort. Students now can complete their work while relaxing on carpet, at desks, at a work table, or on one of the fitness balls in the room. When they are done with their work they can relax in a carpeted reading area with a good book. The social and academic benefits were immediately apparent to staff and to our visitors who remarked on how respectful and well behaved the students had been.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra visit was a chance for our students to see the best of Pittsburgh. It turns out it was also an opportunity for Pittsburgh to see the best of us.
“ It’ s a great day to be a Wolverine!” – Mr. B
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