School Movers & Shakers- December

Fox Chapel

The Fox Chapel Area High School Marching Band won first place at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) Championships. The Marching Foxes placed first in Class 2A at the competition which was held October 18, at Deer Lakes High School. The Marching Foxes earned a score of 86.375, and also won awards for the highest Music and General Effect.

Six Fox Chapel Area High School students had their artwork selected for the Slippery Rock University Art Department 2025 Juried High School Art Exhibition. The students are Adele Grady, Rylie Graham, Nora Kelley, Emma Kuhns, Samantha Van Kirk, and Troy White.

Fourteen Fox Chapel Area High School students participated in the third annual Allegheny County Chorus Festival: Cascie Banachoski, Abigail Ornelas Barajas, Aubrielle Cheatham, Daniel DeMotte, Anita Fava, Sophia Geraci, Maggie Jones, Kassidy Joyce, Evangeline Sereno, Benjamin Shuttleworth, Addison Smith, Emma Smith, Robert Svenson, and Margot Walter.  

Seven Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the annual M&M Lake Erie Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament. The debate team of Joanna Li, Emmanuella

Ulasi, Elaine Huang, and Lydia Humes won second-place honors. The team of Paulomi Goel and Ottilie Happold also won second place. Abigail Vaughan won fifth place.

Fox Chapel Area High School senior Ori Goldin won an award at the 45th Annual University of Virginia Model UN Conference held November 14-16, in Charlottesville. Goldin was awarded a Verbal Commendation (equivalent to fourth place).

Seneca Valley

Together with the nine municipalities that comprise the Seneca Valley School District, the district unveiled its new “Home of the Seneca Valley Raiders” signs during a special ceremony on Monday, Nov. 3, in Jackson Township, the epicenter of the district.

Mars

Two Mars Area School District students achieved certificates in Tae Kwon Do at the Kukkiwon World Tae Kwon Do Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Mars Area Middle School eighth-grader Joshua Wright earned a 4th Poom (fourth degree junior black belt) certificate.  Mars Area Centennial School sixth-grader Annabelle Wright earned a 3rd Poom (third degree junior black belt) certificate. 

Mars Area High School junior Jonnie Maestra was selected for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Jerome Bettis Leadership Award. Maestra, 16, is a three-year member of the Fightin’ Planets Varsity Football Team. The award recognizes high school football players from the Pittsburgh region who go above and beyond to be a leader in their community and to provide mentor-like support for their teammates and peers.

Mars Baseball & Fastpitch Softball Association’s Bartle 10U Softball Team ended the 2025 Fall Season with an overall record of 16-0. Team members include Mars Area Centennial School students Gianna Adams, Averie Baker, Kendall Bartle, Mila Ciafre, Leah DiGioia, Harper Jones, Jane Lyons, Eleanor McCauley, Everlyn Montgomery, Kaylin Midget, Anastasia Trombulak and Brienna Thompson.

Mars Area High School Marching Band earned first place in the Class A Division at the PIMBA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association) Championships, held on Oct. 18 at Deer Lakes High School. The Fightin’ Planets received a combined score of 83.10 and earned top honors for Music Performance, and Visual Performance as well as Music Effect, and Visual Effect.

BC3

The Butler County Community College Education Foundation has received the largest Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit contribution since its first in 2012 and from the Cranberry Township-based MSA Safety, an international developer and manufacturer of advanced safety products. MSA Safety’s $50,000 gift will support a BC3 program that enables sophomores through seniors to earn affordable and transferable credits in college courses and it benefits a game played by pupils that increases financial literacy.