May 18, 2017
Greetings to Pine-Richland Students, Parents and Community,
As the weather begins to turn warmer, we are entering the home stretch of the school year. Students in the Class of 2017 will soon wear the green and white caps and gowns of our graduation ceremony! Parents, grandparents, family, and friends will arrive on campus to celebrate a critical juncture in the life of each graduate. We are proud of each graduate preparing to take the next step in his or her education, career, or military service.
There are so many accomplishments and awards at this time of year. A few of those items shared by Ms. Hathhorn are included below since they represent staff, academics, and service:
- On behalf of the Pennsylvania Principals
Association Board of Directors and the National Distinguished Principal
Selection Committee, Mr. Steven Smithhas been selected as Pennsylvania’s 2017 National Distinguished Principal.
He will be recognized in Washington, D.C. in October by the National
Association of Elementary School Principals. This is an incredible honor for
Mr. Smith, the staff/students/parents at Eden Hall, and the entire
Pine-Richland School District.
- The Pittsburgh Business Times ranked Pine-Richland School District eighth in the region
and #29 in the state. These rankings are based on a formula that analyzes
multiple years of PSSA and Keystone Exam scores. Pine-Richland
High School was recognized by US News & World Report as the top high school in the county and
seventh in the state in the publications “Top High School” rankings. The report
also ranked Pine-Richland #501 in the US. The Washington Post also named Pine-Richland High School second “Most
Challenging High School” in the county, #12 in the state and #1,005 in the
nation.
- The Pine-Richland High School Peer-to-Peer Empowerment Team earned the Jefferson Awards Students in Action (SIA) Pennsylvania Gold Banner on April 25, 2017. The Peer-to-Peer SIA Team’s ongoing goal has been to promote a positive and inclusive environment for all students. This year, the team chose to address a tough topic that many communities around the country are facing – teen suicide. They hosted various projects including a Color Run where they promoted togetherness across all groups, and raised $3,500 to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The team will compete for the national award. In addition, the team’s sponsor Mrs. LeslieStraub earned the Jefferson Awards Foundation 2017 Pittsburgh Students inAction Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award.
As a reminder, we will administer our third annual parent survey next week to gather input about satisfaction and engagement. Results have helped us to monitor progress, understand strengths, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Thank you again for your support and engagement in the Pine-Richland School District.
Respectfully,
Brian Miller
