School Mover & Shakers - May

Anchored Christian Academy

Anchored Christian Academy in Mars had two Pennsylvania state winners for The Daughters of the Revolution annual essay contest submitted by the Kushkushkee Trail chapter of the DAR. Levi Conner won first place for the 6th grade level. He will be honored in King of Prussia this summer, and his entry is now competing in the Eastern States division. High school senior, Drew Williams, won 2nd place in the Pennsylvania level. 

Seneca Valley

Two Seneca Valley students are among the 706 students nationwide to be named a 2026 Carson Scholar. Dahlia Marcin, Seneca Valley Intermediate High School sophomore and Beckett Lowry, Haine Middle School sixth grader have earned this prestigious distinction.

During Seneca Valley’s School Board Meeting on Monday, March 2, board members approved the appointment of Dr. Samantha Schmitt as the District’s new assistant principal of Haine Middle School.

Fox Chapel

Fox Chapel Area High School senior Arman Alborzi qualified to compete in the 2026 USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO).  The USAMO took place March 21-22 at 31 colleges and universities across the country.  Only 600 students were invited to participate in these national finals, and they completed six proof-based problems over two days for a total of nine hours.  Students who score high on the USAMO will qualify to participate in the International Math Olympiad.

Four Fox Chapel Area High School students ranked among the best at the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL) State Tournament. Maya Agarwal and Prachi Behal placed in the top four Parliamentary Debate teams in the state.  Additionally, in the Public Forum Debate, Aiden Drucker and Noelle Fouron finished in the top eight in the state.

Fox Chapel Area High School seniors Michael Costello, Joanna Li, and Rodrigo Silva have been selected as candidates in the 2026 United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Two Fox Chapel Area High School students placed in the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE) Poetry Slam contest. Norah Kovach won second place, and senior Fayth Johnson received an honorable mention.  Each student wrote an original poem and performed their work in front of a panel of judges.

Four Fox Chapel Area High School students qualified for the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament. They are Paulomi Goel, Ottilie Happold, Divya Thirumala, and Sabina Mantella qualified. The competition will be held in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day weekend.

Fox Chapel Area High School and A.W. Beattie Career Center senior Gracen Patterson placed in the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania District 8 competition. She won first place in the medical terminology competition. Gracen is a student in Beattie’s Health and Nursing Sciences program and qualified for the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania Leadership & Skills Conference held in Hershey.

Pine-Richland/Mars

Members of Pine-Richland/Mars Area U.S. Air Force JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp) participated in recent training activities. The JROTC Drill Team competed in the 2026 Tecumseh Regional Drill Meet, held at Tecumseh High School (Ohio). The team earned first place in the Knock-Out (Open) competition; second place in Varsity Armed IDR (Individual/Infantry Drill Regulation) event; and third place in the Female Color Guard contest.

Mars Area

Mars Area School District’s elementary schools collected $21,917.95 as part of an annual fundraiser to benefit the American Heart Association. Mars Area Primary Center (K-1) raised $9,013.70, Mars Area Elementary School (2-4) brought in $12,130.59, and Mars Area Centennial School (5-6) raised $773.66 through the school’s participation in the American Heart Challenge.

Mars Area High School junior Sophia Gourash was named a finalist for the FIRST Tech Challenge Leadership Award.

Mars Area Middle School Hockey Team defeated the Beaver Area Bobcats 5-4 in the final game of the PIHL (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League) 14U D Tournament on March 23, earning the championship title.

Mars Area Centennial School sixth-grader Mackenzie Schnur took first place at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Eastern Region Auditions.

Mars Area Elementary School third-grader Haven Zalenchak was named the Pennsylvania All Around State Champion at the Pennsylvania USA Gymnastics 2026 Level 5/6 PA State Meet, held April 10-12 at Millersville University. Haven is a student at Xquisite Gymnastics in Cranberry Twp.

CMU

A new four-year partnership between Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will give CMU students direct, on-campus access to world-class musicians and conductors. The agreement also provides PSO Go Pass subscriptions for all music majors, and it creates valuable connection between School of Music students and the Pittsburgh Symphony.