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Kindergarten classroom K221 was busy planting and growing throughout April!

The students, along with long-term substitute Mrs. Mary Campbell, had been studying plants
in science class.

As part of the unit, students grew and cared for Plant People. The Plant People have long, green hair and crazy faces!

The hair grew so long that K221 students had to give them haircuts!

Mrs. Campbell taught everyone the basics of haircutting and they got to work. The results were trims, buzz cuts, and even a few spikes! Students enjoyed learning about plant growth, plant needs, and plant parts in this fun and exciting way!

Vanessa Cruises class recently completed a campus beautification project with the help of the Walden Organization.

Students planted flowers around the High School/ Middle School sign outside the auditorium and around the Campus Safety entrance building. They also cleared scrub and created a rock garden with a central CV by the sign at the schools entrance.

The Walden Organization is a pilot program that helps kids identify an environmental ethic while learning about the works of writer/ environmentalist Henry David Thoreau. Donations to the program were made by Allegheny Metal Finishing in Imperial, Cavanaughs Nursery and Supply, and the Staley Family.

Students involved in the project include: Michael Fenton, Lauren Thomas, Jalissa Thompson, Alan Lin, Danielle Lakes, Jaimie Styche, Dallas Brown, Amanda Kaminski, Amy Mori, and Christina Solomon. Details of the project can be viewed at www.worldwidewaldens.org.

Ben Roethlisberger visited CVIS on June 10th for an assembly to present awards to the schools top sellers in the Big Ben BBQ fundraiser.

Money raised through the fundraiser benefited the CVIS and Ronald McDonald House.

Big Ben started the assembly by recognizing members of the 500 Club (sellers of 500 bottles of BBQ sauce) - Rebecca Fallert 5J, Briana Martino 5J, Brooke Fisher 3C, Ian McGrogan 4I, Kailey Thoms 5G, Angela Wauthier 4A, Mikki McCabe 4E, Mariah Mullen 5E.

Next up were the Top Three Sellers, runners-up Drew Harris 4H, Miranda Griffith 3I, and the schools number one seller Nikolas Krieg of 3I.

Questions asked by the students included:
1. Do you remember a special teacher that changed your life? Reilly OConnor 3K

2. What would you do if you were president? Autumn Seiler 3H

3. How hard is it to be famous and normal at the same time? Jake Malacki 3G

4. What is your favorite book? Jared Nelson 4C

5. For out field trip we went to Heinz Field and got to see the locker rooms. The tour guide said that teams do bad things to the locker room. What was the funniest thing that a team did to you as the visitors? Annie Katonka 3H

6. Who has the messiest locker on the team? Nathaniel Holzer 3J

7. A lot of people look up to you, but who do you look up to? Hannah Cantor 3F

8. Do you have any superstitions or unordinary things you do before a game? Melissa Rickens 5B

9. Do you hold the football the same way as Terry Bradshaw with your pointer finger on the end of the ball? Can you show me? Anthony Wilson 5G

10. What is your favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh? Andrew Maedinger 4E

Sophomore Tom Morrison and junior Ryan Carter captured first and second place in the 2008 Carnegie Library Photo Contest. The theme of the event -- in conjunction with the Pittsburgh 250 celebration -- was Imagine What You Can Do Here. Entries were judged on how well they reflected the beauty of Downtown Pittsburgh.

The Best Achievement in Photography award netted Morrison a $500 prize. Carter received $250. CVHS photography instructor Mr. Clayton McGalla expressed pride in the quality of his students submissions and said the students produced their images with school cameras and made their prints in the schools make-shift studio. Tom and Ryan were honored at a reception at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. All contest submissions were on display at the reception. The contest, open to high school students in Allegheny County, attracted 128 submissions.

Additionally, a select group of student photo entries may be included in the soon-to-be published Pittsburgh: 1758- 2008, which is a joint publication of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Ryan Carters second place photo entry

Tom Morrisons first place winning photo

The Carnegie Science Center featured the 2008 C.A.U.S.E. Challenge High School Film Festival presented by Bayer Corporation, Carnegie Science Centers Sci-Tech Initiative, and the Pittsburgh Filmmakers showcasing environmental films. The event took place on April 23.

WTAE-TV was on hand and station meteorologist Stephen Cropper opened the festival by complimenting all of the talented filmmakers on their efforts of visually presenting environmental topics through the art of filmmaking. Cropper noted that this was the largest competition in the festivals four-year history, highlighting its growth and competitiveness.

Chartiers Valley junior Laura Quinn was one of the 29 filmmakers featuring an original production. Laura was honored as a finalist by having her film showcased, where only the best 14 films were presented on the silver screen in front of the filled-to-capacity theater.

Quinns film, Speaking of Goodbye, is a five minute narrative piece with original film footage and digital photography she had created to inspire all of us to become more active helping the environment instead of just talking about it. Her theme, Whats on your to do list?, highlights the beauty and inter-relationship of nature and our environment, and creatively expressed the programs acronym C.A.U.S.E. to bring awareness of the environment.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers Director, Andrew Swensen, was on hand and complimented Laura for her artful blend of streamline film footage, digital photography, and special effects to present a great environmental presentation.

The lobby of the Science Center was transformed into a replica of the famous Manns Chinese Theater (originally Graumans, 1927). Filmmakers and visitors were able to view all entries being shown on flat-screens and two projection screens while enjoying a hot appetizer reception prior to the competition showing in the main theater. The next Sci-Tech Spectacular is scheduled for April 2009.

On Friday, June 6, a group of 202 eighth grade students and 22 chaperones from Chartiers Valley Middle School traveled to Washington, D.C. to tour the nations capital. Although the temperature reached 84 degrees with high humidity and a heat index of 100, the group had an enriching experience.

Students and chaperones began to arrive at school at 5:20 a.m. Upon their arrival in Washington, D.C., the students and chaperones were each given a large bottle of water, and then they broke into smaller groups to begin a walking tour to see the various monuments and memorials, including the Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln Memorials, the Vietnam, Korean, and World War II Memorials, and the Washington Monument. They also photographed the Capital and White House from various vantage points.

After the two-hour walk, the entire group met at the Ronald Regan Visitor Center Food Court for lunch and much needed relief from the heat and sun. An hour later groups began to walk to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for their scheduled visit to the permanent exhibits.

During each groups orientation session, museum docents inquired about the students knowledge of the Holocaust by asking a few questions. While their teachers looked on, students confidently and eagerly answered each question correctly. One docent seemed rather surprised that the middle school group knew so much about the Holocaust. Starting on the fourth floor, the groups began a chronological look at the Holocaust from its beginning to end. The visit allowed students to witness so much more than what they had time to cover in class.

They gazed at hundreds of photos and displays of victims, villains, and heroes. They watched several short films, and they listened to audio recordings from Auschwitz. They looked at the bunks from a concentration camp, and they walked through a train car, which had carried hundreds of people to a camp.

For almost three hours they focused on this atrocity, and they reflected on its magnitude. Some did so with tear-stained faces.

Upon leaving the museum, several students spoke with one of the eighth grade English teachers on the trip. Student Nate Sedlack commented, You told us how sad it would be, and you said you cried when you were here before. We had no idea why until we saw it ourselves.

Allison Lawlor and Sarah McGough, two other students, agreed. Allison remarked, When we were going into the museum, we were complaining that we were hot, tired, and still hungry. After being inside for awhile, we realized we had no reason to complain after seeing people who had suffered so much and who had been really hungry.

Three video shorts produced by CVHS students earned gold medals at the recent Television and Video Teachers Festival at Robert Morris University. This festival is the Academy Awards for local high school film students.

Gold medal winners from CVHS included Corey Campbell (Imaginative), Jamie Meta, Justin Burda and Jenna Wandrisco (Commercial) and Abbey Musial, Lindsay Marra, and Jesse Stacy (School Announcements).

Other entrants from CVHS were Matthew Stromberg (Imaginative), Reed Tomlinson (Commercial), Dana Lindsey (Documentary), Kaitlyn Black, Stephanie Pisula, and Kelly Reynolds (PSA).

One of the primary goals of TVT (Television and Video Teachers Consortium) is to provide a means for students and teachers to exchange ideas, information, and inspiration for producing excellent work in television and video. TVT is an organization of individuals who share a passion for teaching media.

Founded in 1991, the organization now has members in more than five states.

The Physical Education department at the CV Primary School would like to thank all the parents and children who helped raise money for the American Heart Association through the Annual Jump Rope for Heart fund-raiser. More than 130 children participated in the event, raising a total of $6,020.

Students check each others heart rates

Physical education teachers Robert Flukas and Kathy Connolly have organized this fund-raiser for eight years and have collected a total of $51,000. In appreciation of the students donations the American Heart Association provides gifts based on their total contribution. These range from water bottles to jump ropes and Jump Rope for Heart logo t-shirts. The Phys. Ed. department at the school is also rewarded for its contribution, receiving coupons that can be redeemed for equipment that benefits all the students at the Primary school. CVPS has earned over $2,300 to purchase parachutes, scooters, arcade basketball games, balls, dancing implements, CDs and much more.

Over the years, the program has been expanded into an active learning unit where nutrition, physical fitness and heart health are promoted.

Anybody who watches Comedy Central is likely to be familiar with stand-up comedian/ ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and his cast of puppet characters. Dunhams 2006 special Arguing with Myself and 2007s Spark of Insanity air often on the network and excerpts are rampant on You Tube. Dunham was voted Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic at the American Comedy Awards, an honor shared with the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Foxworthy, and Robin Williams. On January 26, 2008 Jeff Dunham was voted #1 in Comedy Centrals Stand-Up Showdown, by fans across America who were able to cast their vote on the Comedy Central website for their favorite comedian.

Matthew Bradley, a 13-year old seventh grade student at the Middle School, became a big fan of Dunhams humor after watching clips on You Tube. Out of all the characters, Achmed the Terrorist became Matts favorite. One day Matt told his mom that he had come up with a joke for Achmed.

When he said it, I thought it was really funny, Sue said.

Not satisfied with hearing his own Achmed tell the joke, Matt said he would like for the real Jeff & Achmed to say it, so he sent his joke to Jeff Dunham.

Surprisingly, a reply came back saying that the joke had been forwarded to Jeffs road team.

Since Dunhams current road show wasnt coming to the Pittsburgh area, the Bradleys decided to travel to Erie for the show.

After the show, Mrs. Bradley mentioned to a staff member that Matt had sent in a joke for Achmed. The family was stunned when Dunham came out and spent some time speaking with them. He asked Matt if he really wrote the joke and Matt recited the joke for him.

Jeff: So Achmed, do you have a family?

Achmed: Of course, everyone has a family.

Jeff: No, I mean do you have a wife and children.

Achmed: Oh Infidel, it is so sad.

Jeff: Why, whats wrong?

Achmed: I am so embarrassed, I am a horrible father.

Jeff: Why do you say that?

Achmed: It all started on Take your child to work day ...

Dunham laughed and told Matt that when a person sends in jokes to Jay Leno, David Letterman and shows like that, they will pay you $50 - 80 for the joke. He also told Matt that his was definitely an $80 joke and asked if he could buy it. A wide-eyed Matt eagerly agreed and the two shook hands to cement the deal. Matt was given $80.

Junior Casey McDermotts review of Bishop Canevins musical production Seussical was selected as the best submission in the Kelly Critics, a joint program of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh CLO in which students of high schools entered in this years Gene Kelly Awards review other schools musicals.

Casey wrote her review of the performance in rhyming verse to match the style of Dr. Seuss author Theodor Seuss Geisel. Caseys article can be accessed from the Post-Gazette on-line archives at http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08145/879371-327.stm.

On Monday, May 5, the Allegheny County Probation and Parole sponsored its annual DUI (Driving Under the Influence) simulation in the auditorium parking lot. CVHS has been incorporating this program into its yearly theme of making smart choices.

Students with a valid drivers license were permitted to drive two laps around the road course that was set up in the parking lot.

Throughout the first lap, the cars steering remains normal. During the second lap, the cars computer system simulates the steering of a person who has consumed alcohol, demonstrating how a persons coordination and decisionmaking while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle becomes impaired.

Students without a valid drivers license were permitted to ride as passengers of the DUI Bug while wearing drunk goggles.

The goggles reproduce vision impairment after drinking alcoholic beverages. A volunteer from the Collier Police Department was also on hand to demonstrate a field sobriety test. Students received an eye-opening experience as they attempted to pass the test while wearing the drunk goggles.

During 8th and 9th period on the Wednesday before prom, CV juniors and seniors were able to watch local emergency medical crews respond to a DUI accident. The simulation incorporated a replicated car crash in the gymnasium parking lot involving two cars, each with four student passengers. Collier Township Police Department, Bower Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Kirwan Heights Emergency Medical, Kirwan Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Glendale Volunteer Fire Department, East Carnegie Volunteer Fire Department, Scott Township Emergency Medical, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiners office all got involved in the simulation. In addition, Allegheny General Hospital sent their Life Flight Helicopter which landed on the softball field. The entire event was planned by Richard Chilton as part of his Senior Exhibition Project.

The whole spectacle really makes you think about how little mistakes can turn into life-ending experiences, says Carmen Minella Following the simulation, students were ushered into the auditorium to speak with three members of the Allegheny General Trauma Unit; Officer Lamb and Officer Brown of the Collier Township Police Department; and CVHSs nurse Michelle Opferman. Each group relayed stories of accidents resulting from consumption of alcohol.

High School art instructor Mark Barzan came up with an impromptu assignment that left his students wondering what they were doing. After distributing thumbnail-sized squares with an abstract design sketched on them, Mr. Barzan asked his students to duplicate and enlarge the sketch onto a piece of letter-sized paper. When they were finished, the students pieced the enlargements together according to a prearranged grid. When the puzzle was completed, the true subject of the assignment a 6-feet x 4-feet head shot of Penguins center Sydney Crosby was revealed.

Eighth grader Sam Rubenstein and seventh grader Mike Davila enjoy a good episode of 24. Not the television show, but a challenging math game where competitors are charged with determining which numbers, including variables, fractions, decimals and roots, on a game card, equal 24. Sam and Mike finished first and second in the highest (Platinum) classification at a 24 Competition at the West Jefferson Hills Borough building, besting middle school students from 26 other Allegheny County schools.

Other CVMS students competing at the Allegheny County 24 Challenge included Matt Bradley (7th) and Himali Ranade (6th). CVMS Gifted students participate in numerous academic competitions throughout the year under the guidance of Gifted Coordinator Mr. Michael Scheinberg.

Fourth grader Jake Collins earned 6,545 points (each point represents a correct answer) in 24 hours during the World Math Day competition. Jake, a student in Mr. Zississ class, ranked 98th in the United States and 826th in the world. There were more than 20,000 schools participating in this contest, with over 1,000,000 students from 160 countries. Jake was sent a letter of recognition for his performance in the competition by organizer Voyage Expanded Learning. Mr. Zissis said, I am very proud of Jakes accomplishment. He worked really hard to get there.

Jake was recognized by the CVSD School Board on April 22 for finishing in the top .1% in the world in the competition.

Numerous track and field records were set at CVHS this spring. In running events Kaitlyn Black set a new mark in the 400 Meter Dash with a time of 60.00 and the girls 4x400 Relay record fell for the second consecutive year as Jacquay Hawkins, Lindsey Rihtarchik, Cara Poletti, and Kaitlyn Black ran a 4:03.09.

Kaitlynn Ingold and Jacquay Hawkins both bested the existing school record of 36 2 in the Triple Jump and they did it on the same day. Hawkins posted a jump of 36 4.5 to set a new school standard, but Ingold made sure her teammates record did not stand for long as she jumped 36 6.75. The previous girls triple jump record had stood since 1983. Ingold also set a new standard in the High Jump with a leap of 50, topping the old mark by a full 2 inches.

Megan Krugs submission of the Collapsible Pizza Box in the 2006-07 Invention Convention has garnered a $500 scholarship from the national Invent America organization. Because Invent America receives so many invention submissions from local conventions, it normally takes the organization up to a year to determine the winning national inventions. Megan submitted her invention last spring as a seventh grade student.

CV was well represented at the local Invention Convention again this year. Eight Intermediate School and five Primary School gifted program students participated in the Invention Convention at Bishop Canevin High School on April 25, 2008. The IS students worked hard to think of an invention idea, create advertisements and build a prototype.

They documented all work in an Inventors Log. All of this work was done at home, though Gifted Coordinator Sandra Mayer mentored the students who entered in the competition. They took on this project in addition to all other obligations!

The following individuals earned a Triple Crown Award this year (for attending three Invention Conventions):
Fourth Grade: Abhinav Goel (4E), and Austin Gutierrez (4F)
Fifth Grade: Angela Pannitti (5B)

Ten students from the Chartiers Valley Intermediate and Middle Schools were selected to perform with the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District One Elementary Band on April 5, at Thomas Jefferson High School. Approximately 150 fifth and sixth grade students from 58 Western Allegheny County schools were chosen to play in the band.

Intermediate School students include Melissa Rickens (clarinet), Paige Weinblum (bass clarinet), Dylan Snak (alto saxophone), Cameron Whetstone (tenor saxophone), Brody Schmidt (trumpet), and Jimmy Orchowski (French horn).

Middle School students include Chandrika Rice (bass clarinet), Tom Kovach (baritone saxophone), Katelyn Oyler (trombone), and Rider Dinnen (percussion).

Mrs. Zississ first grade class has been learning the importance of safety -- wearing seat belts, using bike helmets, etc. The class was told to pay attention to those not displaying proper safety techniques. The kids found many unsafe things, including a flyer (displayed in a pediatricians office) that was made by a local hospital -- which had a photo of a young child on a bike with no helmet. The class called the hospital to point out that the photo did not depict proper safety measures. Letters were also written and sent to some retail stores and television shows.

The class got involved with Froggy FM after hearing a news update about the use of seatbelts to save lives. The kids were impressed when the DJ, Jimmy Roach, spoke about the importance of seatbelts and how even people in the backseat should wear them at all times. The class decided to thank Froggy with a personal note.

The students wrote a letter in their own words - which Froggys DJs read on the air.

Mrs. Zissis received an email from Jimmy Roach saying that they had a terrific response from many viewers about the letter. Mr. Roach asked if he and Mr. Froggy could come to visit the class on May 1 to meet the children, introduce them to Froggy and have the class recite the Pledge of Allegiance for broadcast by the station. May 1 was designated as Froggy Day in the classroom and students read from the Froggy book series by Jonathan London.

When the 2007-08 school year began, an excited group of third graders at CVIS met their new teacher, Mrs. Kathy Lyons. With her help and guidance, along with her Instructional Aide Maureen Scheltanbrand, the children made the transition from the Primary School to the Intermediate School smoothly and quickly.

What these children never knew was that Mrs. Lyons was very sick. On February 9, Mrs. Lyons lost a long battle with breast cancer. The children were devastated by this news.

They spoke about her often throughout the rest of the year. The class wanted to do something at the school to honor Mrs. Lyons memory and finalized their plan in May.

With the help of their substitute teacher, Mrs. Karen Walker, they contacted Custom Stone Carvers, Inc. to have a large stone engraved with their loving message. In order to raise the money for the stone, Ms. Susan McShane, of Custom Stone, graciously donated 20 paperweight sized stones to the students. The stones were engraved with the pink breast cancer logo and the students sold the stones to family and friends to raise the money needed to pay for their memorial stone. One student purchased three stones because her mother is fighting her own personal battle against breast cancer.

On their last day of third grade, the students watched as Mrs. Lyons memorial stone was placed under a shade tree next to the cafeteria a favorite lunch spot of hers when the weather was nice. These students could not be more proud of their efforts to honor their third grade teacher and friend!

The class also donated $115, money left over after the purchase of the memorial stone, to the American Cancer Society in the name of Kathy Lyons. The class and Mrs. Walker wish to thank everyone who helped make the memorial possible. Many of the people who purchased the small stones said they did so to honor a loved one who was a victim of breast cancer. The stones will be placed in gardens and on office desks as a reminder that a cure has yet to be found.

The Intermediate School staff will soon add a park bench dedicated to the memory of their friend and coworker.

The bench will be placed under her favorite tree, overlooking the students memorial stone.