State science award winners
Several Fox Chapel Area School District students won awards in the virtual State Competition of the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS).
District first-place state winners were seniors Jackson Romero and Sanjay Seshan; juniors Zoe Lakkis and Siddharth Yende; sophomores Lawrence Liu and Arvind Seshan; freshman Adhitya Thirumala; and eighth-graders Anna Delale-O’Connor and Etash Jhanji. Second-place awards went to freshman Lakshanya Rajaganapathi and eighth-grader Rohit Velankar.
They were among students in grades 7-12 from across Pennsylvania who competed.
Students researched their science projects for several months and each of the students was required to submit a voice-over PowerPoint presentation on the science project for a panel of judges.
Goldberg said it was the community engagement aspect that drew her in.
“We are all really pleasantly surprised how quickly it took off and how many people have participated in just the first week,” she said.
There’s been a mix of photography, drawings, watercolor paintings, mixed media art, pour paintings and more.
“We love the variety of art and encourage small 3D works also,” Goldberg said.
“Art helps everyone feel good and we want everyone to be creative and add to the arts in Sharpsburg.”
Artists are encouraged to print their name on the back of the piece in an effort to build their portfolio. Photos are shared on Instagram.
O’Hara’s roads will be dotted with new banners saluting Hometown Heroes as the military program renews. The township will accept reservations for banners to honor those who have served the U.S. Armed Forces. “Council loves the banner program, as it honors true heroes of our community,” township Manager Julie Jakubec
Geography Olympiad accolades
Fox Chapel Area High School sophomore Elijah Conklin will be part of Team USA in the International Geography Olympiad. Conklin earned the honor by placing third in the varsity division of the U.S. Geography Championships. The top four students in the country make up Team USA.
The International Geography Olympiad, or iGeo, is an annual competition for geography students from more than 40 countries. The 2021 iGeo will be held online Aug. 11-15 and hosted by Turkey. The national and international contests require students to have a thorough understanding of both the physical side of geography, including country locations and capitals, as well as the human side, including languages, cultures and population trends.
Fox Chapel Area School District will offer a covid-19 vaccination clinic May 24.
The Pfizer vaccine will be available to people ages 12 and older, school leaders said.
Sponsored by Rite-Aid, the clinic will be from 4 to 8:15 p.m. at O’Hara Elementary School, 115 Cabin Lane.
A clinic for second doses will be hosted June 14.
Anyone interested can register at bit.ly/FCAvaccine2.
Anyone getting the shot should bring a photo ID, insurance cards and a completed consent form. People 65 and older should bring their Medicare card.
Participants will receive an email June 1 with a link to sign up for the follow-up event June 14.