The Fox Chapel Area School District won 15 awards in the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association’s 2024 Excellence in Education Communications Contest.

The district received Awards of Excellence in the writing category for the stories “Former Steelers Bring History to Life” and “First-Ever DMS Afternoon of Service Boost for Organizations,” both of which appeared in the IN Fox Chapel Area magazine; and for a photograph from the Fairview Elementary School safety day in the photography category.

The district received Awards of Merit for the “Fox Chapel Area School District 2023-2024 State of the Schools” in the annual report category; for the spring 2024 and summer 2024 IN Fox Chapel Area magazine in the magazine category; for the Safety, Health, & Wellness Fair Invitation in the marketing material category; and for a photograph of students from Hartwood Elementary School in the photography category.

The district received Honorable Mention awards for the “Fox Chapel Area School District 2024-2025 Final Budget” in the finance publication category; for the Fox Chapel Area School District By the Numbers in the infographic category; for the winter 2024 IN Fox Chapel Area magazine in the magazine category; for the “Weekly Updates from the Superintendent” in the newsletter material category; for the discoverED 2024 Promo Video in the video (singular) category; and for both the Fox Chapel Area School District and the Fox Chapel Area athletics websites in the website category.

More than 200 entries from educational institutions throughout Pennsylvania were submitted for the contest. The winners will be honored at the Annual PenSPRA Symposium on March 20 as part of an awards luncheon at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center in State College.

Three Fox Chapel Area High School students recently placed at the annual Freshman-Sophomore Speech and Debate Tournament. Freshman Divya Thirumala won third place in Dramatic Interpretation and the team of freshmen Alyssia Gaucin and Amelia Tedesco won third place in News Broadcasting.

The Freshman-Sophomore Speech and Debate Tournament was held March 15 and was hosted by Seton LaSalle Catholic High School. Approximately 115 students from 11 public and private high schools from Western Pennsylvania competed at the event.

Dorseyville Middle School eighth-graders Avery Graham and Giselle Silva were selected to perform with the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 1 Junior High Chorus. The chorus featured more than 140 students from more than 50 schools from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The festival was held at Keystone Oaks High School Feb. 28 and culminated with a concert. The festival guest conductor was Victor C. Johnson, an acclaimed choral conductor and composer from Dallas.

Both Avery and Giselle are active in the DMS choral program, participating in the DMS concert choir and serving as officers in the DMS honor choir. They have also participated in the DMS musicals for the past three years.

Two Dorseyville Middle School students were named MathCON 2025 finalists. Seventh-graders Shengfeng Fei and Brian Xu each earned 285/300 points in the online test in March and ranked in the 99th percentile. Both have secured a spot in the MathCON Finals that will be held May 10 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago where they will compete with North America’s brightest mathletes.

Shengfeng and Brian were two of 628 finalists from across the United States and Canada, chosen from more than 31,000 students, to compete in the finals of this prestigious academic competition. They were selected based on their score on the online math assessment.

“MathCON isn’t just a competition – it’s an opportunity for students to discover their potential in STEM,” said Nik Hallberg, program director of MathCON. “By making math engaging and accessible, we’re empowering the next generation of problem solvers, innovators, and leaders who will shape the future.”

Nine Fox Chapel Area High School students were selected to perform with the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 1 Senior High Orchestra. The orchestra was comprised of a select group of student-musicians from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The students chosen are seniors Anna Delale-O’Connor (violin) and Marina Dunham (bassoon); juniors Elliott Broyles (trombone), Michael Costello (bass), Charles Hahl (cello), Jack Murray-Krezan (percussion), and Joshua Shah (flute); and sophomores Aislynn Senn (harp) and Leonidas Vandapel (cello).

A total of 150 students were selected for the District 1 Senior High Orchestra Festival, which was held at Bethel Park High School Jan. 9-11. A concert was held Jan. 11 and the guest conductor was Dr. Christopher M. Cicconi, the director of bands and professor of wind conducting at James Madison University.

Eight Fox Chapel Area High School students were chosen by audition to perform with the 2025 PMEA Western Region Orchestra. The orchestra was comprised of the best musicians from the western half of Pennsylvania. The students are seniors Anna Delale-O’Connor (violin) and Marina Dunham (bassoon); juniors Elliott Broyles (trombone), Michael Costello (bass), Charles Hahl (cello), Jack Murray-Krezan (percussion), and Joshua Shah (flute); and sophomore Aislynn Senn (harp).

Approximately 160 students were selected from the western half of Pennsylvania for the Western Region Orchestra. The festival was held Feb. 20-22, and culminated with a concert at Richland High School in Johnstown. The festival was conducted by Chris Thomas, a composer renowned for his contributions to film, television, theme parks and video games.

Three Fox Chapel Area High School students were chosen for Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Region I Choir. The students are seniors Alaina OKunewick and Mya Wilson, and sophomore Evangeline Sereno.

The choral group included approximately 160 of the best singers from school districts throughout Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The Region I Chorus Festival was held March 19-21 at Waynesburg University. The group was conducted by Daniel Singer, music director of the Mendelssohn choir of Pittsburgh. The festival culminated in a concert March 21.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)