School Movers & Shakers

Aquinas Academy

Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh has been nationally recognized as one of the Best Schools in America by Niche, the country’s leading college and school search platform. Aquinas achieved recognition in the following categories: #1 Co-Ed Catholic High School in Pennsylvania; #1 Co-Ed Catholic K-12 School in Pennsylvania; #26 Co-Ed Catholic K-12 School in the USA. These rankings reflect Aquinas Academy's exceptional performance across numerous factors analyzed by Niche including academic performance, extracurricular activity opportunities, data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and user input from current students, alumni, and parents.

North Hills

The Kushkushkee Trail Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, presented Excellence in American History Awards to students at North Hills High School. Recipients are: 9^th Grade American History - Don D'Alessandro, Julia Torok and McKenna Cote; 11^th Grade US Government - Anya Roy and Alex Alder; Contemporary History - Dhevyn Taylor and Lydia Downs; AP US History - Faith McAtee; AP U.S. Government - Ava Weber.

Seneca Valley

Seneca Valley Senior High School students recently had an unforgettable educational experience as they heard from 96-year-old Holocaust survivor, Howard Chandler. Mr. Chandler, who endured Auschwitz, spoke to students at an assembly on Friday, Oct. 10. He shared his firsthand experience as a slave laborer in concentration camps.

Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced that Seneca Valley seniors Elizabeth Browne, Adrian Wrubel, and Autumn Zacherl are Semifinalists in the 71^st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Mars Area

Mars Area School Board has appointed Hope Schreiber to fill the position of assistant principal at Mars Area High School.

Mars Area High School seniors Madeline George and Andersen Palmer were named Commended Students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Mars Area Middle School eighth-graders Emma Johnston and Everly Henderson were selected as winners in the 2025 Young Writers’ “Integers: Stories Inspired by Numbers” creative writing contest.

Fox Chapel

A recent Fox Chapel Area High School graduate won a writing award, and two other graduates had their writing published as part of the 2025 Ralph Munn Creative Writing Contest. Meera Reddy won second place, and a $100 prize in the poetry category. Meera also had a prose piece, “I’m Not Good Enough” qualify for publishing in the anthology. Additionally, Anna Delale-O’Connor had a short prose piece, “Dinner for One” and Devon McDonald had a short prose piece, “Lying in a Puddle” published as well.  

The Fox Chapel Area High School Marching Band won first place in the Class AA division at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) competition held September 27, at Yough Senior High School. Additionally, the band also received awards for the highest music, general effect, and visual scores in its division.

Fox Chapel Area High School art teacher Joan Marangoni was selected to serve on the first-ever Junk Kouture Teacher Advisory Board from the United States. She is one of only six educators from across the nation who will serve on the board for the 2025-2026 school year. Marangoni was selected for being “an influential and passionate Junk Kouture Educator.” 

In October, The Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area donated “Peace Poles” to the Fox Chapel Area School District to display at its schools. According to Rotary International, “Rotary Peace Poles are powerful catalysts for bringing communities together.” Each Peace Pole is a monument that displays the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in the language of the country where it is placed.  

BC3

Butler County Community College (BC3) was recently ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania. Niche.com, Pittsburgh, reviewed and evaluated data from the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau, and FBI, and weighed student and alumni reviews in recognizing BC3 as the best community college in Pennsylvania for 2026. BC3 was also ranked No. 1 by Niche.com for 2025, for 2023 and for 2022; by BestColleges.com for 2023, for 2022, for 2020 and for 2017; and by Schools.com in 2019, in 2017 and in 2015.

Rick Barger and Tom McConnell received Distinguished Alumni honors during an Oak Hills Celebration. The event was held Oct. 4 in Founders Hall on BC3’s main campus in Butler Township.

Butler County Community College trustees approved an agreement that will allow a downtown coffee shop to operate, manage and provide food services at a cafeteria and café on BC3’s main campus in Butler Township through May 2029. Trustees authorized a motion from the board’s finance committee to select Vintage Coffeehouse, 209 S. Main St., Butler, to succeed CRH Catering Co., Connellsville.