Today, STAR Schools received recognition from the Pittsburgh City Council.  Council President Darlene Harris awarded select schools with a proclamation, naming December 17, 2012 STAR Schools Day.  STAR focuses on rewarding schools for what matters most: accelerating achievement for our students. The school-level award recognizes all staff represented by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers in schools making extraordinary contributions to student growth. Schools within Pittsburgh Public Schools earn STAR status by being within the top 15% or 25% of Pennsylvania schools, rank-ordered for student growth.  Special schools are also awarded. STAR acknowledges the hard work staff as a school teams do every day and emphasizes the importance of working together to help every student succeed.

Before the proclamation, Pittsburgh Whittier students led the Pledge of Allegiance and held a moment of silence for the victims of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting. 

Congrats to our 2011/12 STAR Schools: Pittsburgh Brookline PreK-8, Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5, Pittsburgh Fort Pitt K-5 (closed school), Pittsburgh Fulton PreK-5, Pittsburgh Sunnyside K-8, Pittsburgh Weil PreK-5, Pittsburgh Whittier K-5, Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8, Pittsburgh Conroy, Pittsburgh Pioneer and Pittsburgh Oliver Citywide Academy.

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Board Member Mr. Mark Brentley Sr. visits PPS PreK classroom at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum

PITTSBURGH, May 17, 2012 –Hundreds of fathers across     Pittsburgh took their children to school today.  Instead of dropping them off and waving goodbye, they headed inside the buildings.  Fathers, grandfathers, uncles and other adult males who have made an impact in the life of a Pittsburgh Public Schools student participated in various activities, such as field day, story time, arts and crafts and career talks.
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May 16, 2012

PITTSBURGH, April 9, 2012 – As part of Phase 3 of its work to build a sustainable public school system, the District presented strategies that adjust the way students are transported to and from school.  Presented at this evening’s Board Committee Meeting, the three transportation changes – implementation of a 3 Tier Routing System, increase use of yellow buses, and the alignment of the start and end times of the District Accelerated Learning Academies (ALAs) – stand to save the District approximately $1.2 million annually.  
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Each day of the week represents an attribute associated with a letter in D.R.E.A.M. These attributes are reflected in a behavior matrix developed by the students, on display in hallways, classrooms and the cafeteria to set a positive example for all student in the school.

• Monday – Dare to believe and achieve
• Tuesday – Respect my community
• Wednesday – Exert extraordinary effort
• Thursday – Act responsibly
• Friday – Make the right decisions

Throughout the week, teachers reinforce D.R.E.A.M. during morning meetings and use the attributes to reward students for demonstrating positive behaviors in their classrooms. Teachers also allow students to earn classroom incentives and rewards ranging from multicolored bead necklaces and bonus points, to D.R.E.A.M. catchers, cards, and stickers. In celebration of Black History Month, classes also connected D.R.E.A.M. behavior expectations to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Brookline’s strong and consistent message around modeling positive behavior has helped contribute to an overall school culture that is positive, productive, and Promise-Ready. In creating an environment in which students feel recognized for their hard work and positive behavior, Brookline has also developed a climate in which students strive to achieve academic success.

According to Brookline Teaching and Learning Environment Teacher Liaison Kristen Triplett, “The kids know that in order to be successful and Promise-Ready, they have to dream.”

Teachers and administrators from across the District developed D.R.E.A.M. as one resource to support positive teaching and learning environments during the 2011-12 school year.

» Take a Father to School webpage