Niche Ranks Sewickley Academy #1 – Niche.com named Sewickley Academy the #1 Best Private High School in Pittsburgh in 2017. Sewickley Academy was also ranked #9 Best Private High School in Pennsylvania, #8 Best Private K-12 School in Pennsylvania, and maintained an A+ Overall Niche Grade.
Events Center and Means Alumni Gym Dedication – On Tuesday, November 22, 2016, the entire Sewickley Academy community gathered together indoors for the first time in recent history in the brand new Events Center and Means Alumni Gym. The building is a LEED certified, multi-purpose space which now serves as the centerpiece of the Academy’s commitment to building community. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the faculty, staff, and students of Sewickley Academy, Mr. O’Connor declared the Events Center and the Means Alumni Gym open.
New Makerspace Opens – In fall of 2016, the Makerspace, comprised of a Brainstorming Space with whiteboard walls and tables, a Maker Room with craft supplies, tools, 3-D printers, and a laser engraver, and a Green Screen Studio outfitted with a full green screen wall and audio/video equipment, opened its doors. Projects that were once inconceivable have already been brought to life as students continue to design, innovate, and create in new ways.
“First Day” Commercial Named a CASE Silver Award Winner – The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) named Sewickley Academy a silver award winner of its 2016 Circle of Excellence awards program. A panel of experts selected SA’s “First Day” commercial entry in the Video – PSAs and Commercial Spots from among 43 entries. It was the only independent school to win in this category.
Annual Fund Video Wins Gold in Brilliance Awards – InspirED School Marketers named Sewickley Academy the Gold Winner in its first Brilliance Awards. In the Annual Fund Appeal category, the Academy’s “Let’s Talk About the Annual Fund” video was selected by a panel of 10 judges from creative agencies and independent schools from across the country.
SA Helps Set New Guinness World Record – With help from 310 stackers at Sewickley Academy, a new Guinness Book of World Records for “Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations in One Day” was set on November 17, as part of the 2016 STACK UP! According to the World Sport Stacking Association, 619,906 stackers took part on Guinness World Records Day, breaking the 2015 mark of 618,394.
Schmitty The Weather Dog Visits SA – Schmitty The Weather Dog made a surprise appearance at the Lower School’s morning assembly on Tuesday, September 27, 2016. Along with author Elly McGuire and meteorologist Ron Trotta, Schmitty presented a fun and educational STEAM enrichment program. Author Elly read her book, “Schmitty The Weather Dog: Daydream,” followed by a weather lesson with Schmitty and meteorologist Ron, and ended with the “Schmitty The Weather Dog” song.
Building Community – Middle School Community Builders presented a check for $450 to the Julie A. Bryant Foundation during announcements on Thursday, February 9, 2017, in the Middle School Commons. The foundation bridges the gap between insurance coverage and the very real financial burdens caused by the day-to-day lifestyle necessities of dealing with brain cancer and its effects, assisting those who have lost their independence and helping them regain a sense of normalcy.
Battle of the Books – Teams from each division of Sewickley Academy participated in Battle of the Books 2017. Grade 5 team The Book Worms won first place; Grade 6 team Rise of the Reading Magicians placed third out of 21 teams; and Grade 7 team the iNinjas took third place, making this their second year in a row of placing in the top three.
Freshman Travels to Morocco on Scholarship – Freshman Luke Tyson was selected by Rustic Pathways as one of 10 students to travel to Morocco this summer as part of their first “By Invitation Only: Peace, Wonder and Understanding Islam” program. Out of 400 applicants, Luke represented SA alongside students from diverse locations as part of this fully-funded scholarship program.
Rebuilding Nepal – Senior Janie Weber raised money for the Rukmini Foundation to help rebuild the Shikharapur School in Nepal after the devastating earthquakes. As a “token of appreciation,” her name was carved into the Rukmini Wall on the Rukmini floor of the recently completed school.
Give My Regards to Broadway – Broadway actors Rob McClure and Maggie Lakis visited campus to talk with Senior School students about managing a life in the performing arts, fielding questions about acting, college, and career choices.
Panther Palooza Take 2 – Sewickley Academy hosted the second annual Panther Palooza on May 12, 2017. Senior Millen Schuchert organized the event which raised over $1,150 to benefit Animal Friends.
Students Engage in Authentic Service Learning in Belize – Over spring break, 14 of Sewickley Academy’s “Global Issues: World Heath” students traveled to Belize in cooperation with Global Public Service Academies (GPSA) to participate in authentic service learning. Students walked through the villages with a community health worker offering to take blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse, and height and weight measurements for those who do not have the ability to see a doctor on a regular basis.
Congressman John Lewis Visits SA – On October 8, 2016, approximately 270 people gathered in Rea Auditorium to hear co-authors Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrator Nate Powell of “March,” The New York Times bestselling trilogy of graphic novels centered on the Civil Rights Movement, speak. Congressman Lewis discussed his role as a leader of the Movement, recalled interactions with the legendary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and spoke of his work with the Freedom Riders and the horrific experiences of being jailed and beaten throughout the south.
Hansen Cup Raises Over $51,000 – The 11th Annual Hansen Cup Memorial Golf Outing took place on Monday, September 12, 2016, at Allegheny Country Club. The committee raised more than $51,000 which directly benefits a current student by awarding them the W. Gregg Hansen Memorial Scholarship.
Annual Auction Feels the Love – Sewickley Academy’s 30th Annual Auction, “That’s Amore,” was held on April 22, 2017, at Allegheny Country Club. The event raised over $328,000 to support our students, faculty and staff, programs, classrooms, financial aid, and more!
SDLC Hosts 15th Annual International Dinner – On Saturday, January 28, 2017, the Student Diversity Leadership Club (SDLC) hosted the 15th annual Sewickley Academy International Dinner, a casual, free admission family event. The African American Awareness Club, Asian Culture Club, Indian Culture Club, Irish Culture Club, Islamic Culture Club, and Jewish Culture Club provided 25 dishes in total, filling the Middle and Senior School Cafeteria with delicious home-cooked food. After enjoying the cultural food, our 200+ guests went to Rea Auditorium for a show which included nine performances created by the culture clubs and other individual students.
SA Hosts Robotics Tournament – On Saturday, December 10, 2016, Sewickley Academy hosted its fifth annual Robotics Tournament in the new Events Center and Means Alumni Gym. Over 30 teams were in attendance competing in two different divisions, the largest turnout to date. Sewickley Academy’s two Middle School teams placed fifth and sixth overall in their division and were able to improve their score and successfully complete more missions by the end of the competition.
Sewickley Series Brings Kwame Alexander, Alexis Jones to SA – Author and educator Kwame Alexander visited Sewickley Academy on October 17, 2016, as part of the Sewickley Series. His visit was one of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures “Author to Schools” events (a video conference event) – an hour long Q&A round robin, moderated by the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures’ Executive Director Stephanie Flom. Sewickley Academy hosted the event, while students in Grades 3 through 8 from six other area schools participated via video conference. Kwame also visited the Early Childhood building to spend time with students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 2. He taught students how to count to 10 in Swahili through movement and song, and read his book, “Surf’s Up.”
On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, author, speaker, and activist Alexis Jones spoke to Middle and Senior School students in Rea Auditorium as part of the Sewickley Series. Alexis shared her personal story from having it all at age 19 to struggling with body image with students. She worked at Fox Sports and ESPN, was a contestant on the hit CBS reality TV show Survivor: Micronesia and a coach for the MTV show MADE, and wrote “I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl.” Alexis leveraged her entertainment background as a vehicle to empower youth, and launched the non-profit I AM THAT GIRL.
Pancake Breakfast – On Saturday, October 22, 2016, Sewickley Academy held its ninth annual Pancake Breakfast in the Middle and Senior School Cafeteria. This year, 129 people attended the breakfast, and the community raised $760 which was split equally between the Sewickley and Edgeworth Police Departments and Cochran Hose Fire Company.
Spirit of Giving Food Drive – Students, faculty, staff, and Academy families gave generously to the Spirit of Giving Food Drive which benefited St. Vincent de Paul’s Good Samaritan Food Pantry. This year, the Academy raised $739.00 to purchase 35 12-pound turkeys from Safran’s Supermarket in Sewickley to provide Thanksgiving dinner for local families.
Model UN – Ten students in the Senior School’s Model UN Club participated in Duquesne University’s Model UN Conference for high school students on Friday, January 27, 2017. At the conference, Grade 9 students Luke Tyson and Lena Sharara were awarded first place as the most outstanding delegation in their committee on Disarmament and International Security. Luke also was named second place for the best delegate overall in the entire conference which awarded him a $2,000 scholarship to Duquesne.
SA Celebrates Black History Month – The Sewickley Academy community celebrated Black History Month with a visit from poet, musician, and storyteller Kurtis Lamkin. Mr. Lamkin treated students, faculty, and staff to numerous performances on the Kora, a stringed, harp-like instrument that originated in West Africa. In between poems accompanied by the instrument, he explained its origin, how it is played, and its traditional use in oral storytelling in African culture.
Clothesline Sale Success – The Home and School Association’s 63th annual Clothesline and Used Book sale raised over $91,000 for the Academy.
Curtain Call – The Sewickley Academy Theater Department opened its 2016-2017 season with The Glass Menagerie. A modern retelling of Tennessee Williams’ first great masterpiece, the show explored the memory play with technological storytelling. Live video, projections, and filmed sequences told Tom’s story and revealed eternal human truths.
On November 18 and 19, 2016, the Middle School presented Crazy for You, the story of Bobby Child, a well-to-do 1930s banker whose dream in life is to dance. The high energy comedy included mistaken identity, plot twists, fabulous dance numbers, and classic Gershwin music.
On April 28 and 29, 2017, Grade 5 performed Monty Python’s Spamalot in Rea Auditorium. The musical centered on King Arthur and his search for the Holy Grail.
The Senior School presented Sweeney Todd on March 2-4, 2017. The musical told the story of the penny dreadful barber who was unjustly imprisoned for years by a corrupt judge and returns to England bent on revenge — a revenge that turns indiscriminately murderous, leading his resourceful accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, to bake the victims into meat pies.
The 2016-2017 season ended with the Senior School’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare’s most magical tale finds four young lovers wrapped in the dream-like arms of an enchanted forest where sprites lurk and fairies rule.
Class of 2017 Graduates Indoors – On Thursday, June 8, 2017, approximately 750 family members and friends, along with administrators, faculty, and staff, gathered in the Events Center and Means Alumni Gym for the first time in Academy history to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2017.
SA Inducts 13 Students to Cum Laude Society – On May 15, 2017, 13 members of Sewickley Academy’s senior class were honored with membership to the Cum Laude Society. Inductees included Lakshmi Amin, Christopher Gonzalez, Jr., Isabel Joseph, Tessa Lisanti, Katherine Malus, Benjamin Mulholland, Alexandra Oh, Priya Rajawat, Jason Rampelt, Neil Rana, Millen Schuchert, Ain Shajihan, and Natalie Wei.
The Cum Laude Society is a national organization established in 1906 to recognize and encourage true scholarship and academic achievement among students in secondary schools. Modeled on Phi Beta Kappa for colleges, the society now has 382 chapters with over 350 of those in independent schools. Sewickley Academy is one of only 19 schools in Pennsylvania that are members of the society.
Global Studies Certificates – Nineteen members of the senior class graduated with a Global Studies Certificate.
Class of 2017 Volunteers – The Class of 2017 completed a total of 6,128 hours of community service during their time at the Academy.
Go Team! – Thirteen Sewickley Academy seniors committed to college athletic teams for the 2017-18 season. The Academy held two Athletic College Signing Ceremonies for these student athletes – one in the fall and one in the spring. All athletes signed a letter of intent, accompanied by his or her parents and coach, in front of the Hall of Fame in the Events Center.
Tennis Champions! – For the second straight year in the WPIAL Class 2A boys tennis team finals, Sewickley Academy defeated Indiana 5-0, earning their 14th consecutive WPIAL team championship, the second-most in WPIAL history in any sport behind only the Bethel Park boys swimming team, which won 20 in a row from 1981-2000. In the WPIAL Class 2A individual final, Luke Ross became the first player in nearly 15 years to win back-to-back singles titles. This is the third time in his career that he has clinched the WPIAL singles champion title.
1st Place Sure is Sweet – The boys soccer team captured its seventh WPIAL title; the boys swimming and diving team won its third consecutive WPIAL Championship; and the boys basketball team won the WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A Championship.
Two Basketball Players Join 1000-Point Club – Seniors Justin Pryor and Chris Groetsch both reached a coveted milestone for Sewickley Academy by joining the basketball team’s 1,000-point club. Justin scored his 1,000th point on December 27 when the Panthers beat Franklin Regional 82-71 at the North Allegheny tournament, and Chris scored his 1,000th point at Sewickley Academy on Tuesday, January 17, when the Panthers defeated OLSH 70-45.
Coach of the Year – Athletic Director and head varsity basketball coach Win Palmer was named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Coach of the Year on Friday, April 14, 2017. Coach Palmer led the Panthers to a 25-4 record this season, which included the fourth WPIAL title and third PIAA title for the Academy. Coach Palmer won his 600th basketball game in January. Coach Palmer was also named the state’s Class 2A Coach of the Year by a group of Pennsylvania sports writers
