Wednesday, April 10, 2013
One Pittsburgh woman says so. Cranberry Patch readers, chime in.
An opinion piece recently published in the Post-Gazette has created quite the buzz on Facebook. Kathy Newman, an English professor and mother of a third grader, wrote that she is having her son "opt out" of this year's PSSA because the stressful tests "warp the educational environment." Her son attends Pittsburgh's Linden Elementary School. We've asked our Patch readers on Facebook if they support Newman's decision and what they think of Pennsylvania's standardized tests, and we received a mixed bag of reaction. Most of the commenters think Newman is right on. "Hate these tests! So much pressure on kids and teachers and it doesn't even count for a grade," Jenn Rennie wrote. "Some children just don't test well but really know the material…
Friday, December 14, 2012
When Seneca Valley has an emergency, the district first utilizes AlertNow, a parent notification system, programmed to call the primary phone number listed for each child. Plus, learn more about police response to a school crisis from Jackson Township's c
In the wake of the shocking shooting at a Newtown, CT, elementary school on Friday, Dec. 14, officials reunited parents with their children. They had help from a reverse 911 call that automatically went out to parents of the public school students to notify them about the shooting. The Seneca Valley School District has a similar system called AlertNow. Information about the system is contained in the student handbook, and is available on the district website. Emergency Information (AlertNow) When Seneca Valley has a closing or delay, the district first utilizes AlertNow, a parent notification system, which is programmed to call the primary phone number as listed for each child. In an emergency situation, or in the event that the district …
40.809512
-80.106877
Seneca Valley Senior High School
128 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/in-wake-of-connecticut-shooting-what-is-seneca-valley-s-emergency-notification-plan
1249921
/locations/8388845
40.809774
-80.107417
Seneca Valley Middle School
122 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/in-wake-of-connecticut-shooting-what-is-seneca-valley-s-emergency-notification-plan
1249955
/locations/8388846
40.809593
-80.107062
Seneca Valley Intermediate High School
126 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/in-wake-of-connecticut-shooting-what-is-seneca-valley-s-emergency-notification-plan
1250226
/locations/8388847
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Citing cutbacks in state funding and ballooning pension costs, officials are expect to vote next week on a proposed budget with an increase in property taxes.
Discussion of what appears to be an inevitable tax increase dominated Monday night’s work session of the Seneca Valley school board. The district is facing a $4.8 million dollar shortfall for the 2012-13 school year. In April, officials voted to eliminate 14 positions, 11 of which were teachers. The three eliminated non-teacher positions were the assistant director of buildings and grounds, a paraprofessional for the secondary gifted program and the attendance officer. The board is expected to vote next week on a proposed budget that includes a tax-mill increase ranging anywhere from 2.11 to 5.71 mills. The proposed budget will be available to the public before officials give their final vote June 25. Superintendent Dr. Tracy Vitale …
40.809512
-80.106877
Seneca Valley Senior High School
128 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/seneca-valley-approves-budget-tax-increase
1249921
/locations/7087987
Friday, January 20, 2012
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe pens a letter to Gov. Tom Corbett encouraging his administration to reject the district's request for permission to raise property taxes.
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, is encouraging Governor Tom Corbett to reject Seneca Valley’s recent application to the state Department of Education for permission to raise property taxes. “I strongly encourage your administration to carefully scrutinize the Act 1 waiver application from the Seneca Valley School District, to ensure the budget presented is in full compliance with state law and that funding is not being shifted to indicate a shortage in areas that qualify as an exception,” he said in a letter dated Jan. 18. In the face of a proposed preliminary budget that shows a $4.8 million shortfall for the 2012-13 school year, Seneca Valley’s school board unanimously on Monday approved a motion allowing the district to ask the …
40.809512
-80.106877
Seneca Valley Senior High School
128 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/metcalfe-asks-governor-to-reject-seneca-valley-act-1-exception-request
1249921
/locations/6224556
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The presentations will include Internet bullying, social networking and more.
- SCHOOLS
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Seneca Valley School District plans to conduct seven presentations for parents in February to discuss cyber-bullying, Internet safety, social networking, online communication and predator avoidance. The seminars also will encourage parents to take a greater role in their students’ online life. The Verizon Foundation is donating $8,000 to the district for the presentations. “The presentations will enable parents to become advocates for their children and for safety,” said Jeffrey Fuller, assistant superintendent at Seneca Valley. “As parents and educators, more and more often we hear stories of children falling prey to predators via the Internet. "Additionally, with more and younger children having access to a variety of electronic …
40.809512
-80.106877
Seneca Valley Senior High School
128 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/seneca-valley-to-hold-cyber-safety-classes-for-parents
1249921
/locations/6169396
Friday, November 11, 2011
Protest takes place Friday outside the store on Route 19.
As shoppers entered and exited the Toys “R” Us in Cranberry on Friday, protesters handed them pink fliers detailing the so-called “Delaware Tax Loophole.” The group of about 20 sign-carrying protesters stood outside the store for an hour to protest the loophole, which allows corporations to shift profits to holding companies based in Delaware, where the tax structure is more favorable to businesses than that of Pennsylvania's. The flier referred to Toys “R” Us as one of thousands of companies that are subject to the corporate net income tax but are not paying their fair share of tax profits. Group spokesman Dominic Gronito, a health care worker from Beaver County, added demonstrators were protesting the practices of all big corporations, …
40.690206
-80.102912
Toys "R" Us
20281 Route 19, Cranberry Twp, PA
/articles/demonstrators-hope-to-call-attention-to-delaware-tax-loophole-with-protest-at-cranberry-toys-r-us
1796877
/locations/5792977
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tracy Vitale spent four years as assistant superintendent before Monday's promotion.
The search for a new Seneca Valley superintendent is over. At Monday’s school board meeting, officials unanimously voted to hire Dr. Tracy Vitale, effective Sept. 29. Vitale, who was assistant superintendent of human resources and pupil services for the last four years, was given a five-year-contract with a salary of $163,166 for the first year. She replaces Dr. Donald Tylinski, who spent eight years as superintendent before announcing his retirement in May. Although Tylinski’s official last day is Sept. 28, he used vacation time to leave the district in late August. Vitale was appointed acting superintendent last week. A former assistant principal and principal at Seneca Valley Middle School who joined the district in 2002, Vitale said …
40.809677
-80.107245
Seneca Valley School District Administration Office
124 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/seneca-valley-hires-new-superintendent
1249648
/locations/5400804
Friday, May 20, 2011
Vice president of Pittsburgh-based EQT says environmental threats linked to drilling have been exaggerated.
Concerns over the environmental impact of Marcellus Shale gas drilling have been overstated, an official from a Pittsburgh-based natural gas company said last night at a public forum at the Carnegie Science Center on the North Side. Lindell Bridges, the senior vice president for geoscience at EQT, fielded questions about the region's burgeoning drilling industry during "Drilling Down on the Marcellus Shale: Energy Potential" at the center. Audience members had the chance to question Bridges on how drilling would impact the Pittsburgh region in decades to come. Bridges touted the long-term benefits of drilling, telling the audience that Western Pennsylvania sits on one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world. Tapping that …
40.792037
-80.104609
Jackson Township
140 Magill Rd, Zelienople, PA
/articles/carnegie-science-center-hosts-marcellus-shale-talk-2
1250076
/locations/4387695
40.809677
-80.107245
Seneca Valley School District Administration Office
124 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/carnegie-science-center-hosts-marcellus-shale-talk-2
1249648
/locations/4387696
Township officials approved a conditional application for Keystone Midstream LLC at Thursday's meeting.
Plans are moving forward for a natural gas processing plant in Jackson Township that opponents of Marcellus Shale drilling have protested. At Thursday’s meeting, Jackson Township supervisors unanimously approved a conditional use application for the Bluestone Gas Processing plant, which would extract natural gas liquids. Keystone Midstream LLC will be the plant’s owner; the company also owns a similar processing facility on Route 528 in Forward Township.The new facility would lease 71 acres along Hartmann Road and process Marcellus Shale gas for Rex Energy. On Monday,members of Marcellus Outreach Butler attended a hearing on the application, with many of them speaking out against the plant’s proposed location about a mile from the Seneca …
40.792037
-80.104609
Jackson Township
140 Magill Rd, Zelienople, PA
/articles/plans-move-forward-for-jackson-township-natural-gas-processing-plant
1250076
/locations/4381055
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The $94.5 million spending plan calls for a 5.6-mill tax increase.
Despite pleas from several board members to delay a vote until a state House counterproposal to Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget plan is resolved, Seneca Valley School Board officials in a 5-4 decision Monday approved the 2011-2012 school year budget. The $94.5 million spending plans increase real estate taxes by 5.6 mills and curtails a half-dozen district programs. Board members Eric DiTullio, Anthony Storti, Joseph Scalamogna and James Welsh voted against approving the budget. By increasing activity fees, cutting back on programs, and adding to the millage rate, the budget addresses the $10 million deficit the district faces in the next school year. Supported by DiTullio and Storti, Scalamogna was the first to request that the board wait …
40.809677
-80.107245
Seneca Valley School District Administration Office
124 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA
/articles/seneca-valley-school-board-splits-5-4-in-final-budget-approval
1249648
/locations/4351745
Colleen Peirce
6:21 pm on Thursday, April 11, 2013
These tests, like most of education is part of the Big Business mindset that is now education. Cram as many children as you can legally into a classroom, teach to the test to get higher grades and more money!!! Today's educators are better prepared and held more accountable than any other generation of teachers. It is too bad that parents are not held to the same standards when it comes to … more ›