On Friday, as the region rallied in support of the Steelers, Seneca Valley Middle Schoolers cheered not only for the team, but for themselves at being named a 2011 Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch winner in the National Schools to Watch Program.

The Schools to Watch Program is similar to the Blue Ribbon Program where it holds a rigorous judging process to determine which schools receive this distinction.

In October, a 10-person committee from the program spent a day with teachers, students, and even parents to get a feel for a typical day at the school. 

"Our teachers did what they do every day," said Andrea Peck, assistant principal. "They shared a true example of what they do and what we stand for."

The panel must have been impressed, because on January 31, the school learned they had been named a School to Watch.

According to the panel, Seneca Valley was chosen for "using academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational support to create a high-performing school where all students can be successful."  

"It think it really provides affirmation to what we do here every day," said school principal Sean McCarty.

Seneca Valley Middle School staff have been invited to accept their award at the national conference held in Washington D.C. later this summer.