Volume 25, Issue 2 • February 2014
In this Issue
One Call Now Message System .......................2
Primary News ....................................................3
Intermediate News ............................................4
Physical Education News ..................................5
Music Notes .......................................................6
“Meet the Maestro” ..........................................7
Middle School News .........................................8
Library News.......................................................9
Published by the Falk School PTO
From the Director
Dear Falk School Families,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Holiday Season
and a relaxing time away from school. I also wish
each of you a prosperous and healthy New Year.
I want to take this opportunity to discuss three
accomplishments from the past eight years and the
tasks that I see facing the new Director.
We want our
children...
...to grow in
the experience
of doing for
others.
Staffing: We now have a full, or nearly full,
complement of teachers and support personnel.
This year we elected to add the third section of
middle school students in grades six, seven and
eight. This meant employing the necessary teachers
to cover these sections. The good news is that we
have now absorbed the costs for these positions
into our annual budget, and as the student numbers
continue to increase we should continue to grow
the money necessary to retire the debt from the construction and expansion. The bad news is that virtually all of these positions were appointments. This
means that the new Director will need to coordinate
searches for four middle school appointments. This
is in addition to two primary, one intermediate, five
learning support, two technology, and one counselling search. These searches are time consuming,
costly and stretch current faculty and parents who
must serve on the search committees.
Finance: Thanks to the efforts of Michael Haas in
the Dean’s Office, we have increased need based
assistance from approximately $10,000 in my first
year to approximately $450,000 for the upcoming
academic year. This means we can commit dollars that were formerly used to support student
scholarships to the overall operation of the school.
Also, the enrolment has increased from 243 before
the expansion to the current 370 with an average
annual tuition increase of 6.1% over the same
period of time. This has allowed us to hire the necessary personnel, operate the school and begin paying
down the construction debt. The new Director will
need to take the current enrollment forward to the
target number of approximately 410. This is not as
simple as it seems. In the current economic environment, in a city with a declining student population,
only Winchester Thurston and Falk have continued
to increase student numbers. The other independent
schools have all faced declining enrollment, some
of the student losses severe. Falk and Carlow are
currently the least expensive independent school
options in the region. The new Director will need to
balance maintaining that current educational value
for educational dollar, while actively competing for
a declining student population, in order to see the
numbers continue to grow.
Accreditation: For the first time in the School’s
history we are accredited by both the Middle States
Association and the Pennsylvania Association of
Independent Schools. This was a massive effort
to the credit of Laurie Williams, Lori Wertz and
Christine Herring among others. This has allowed
an external group of peers to visit our school,
assess our programs and make recommendations.
Although this has been a great experience and the
school has benefitted massively from the process;
the new Director will now have external forces setting expectations for the continued operation of the
Dates to Remember
Feb 12
Executive PTO Board Mtg
Apr 14
No School (In Service Day)
Feb 23
PTO Multicultural Celebration
Apr 15
No School (Passover)
Feb 27
1:30pm Early Dismissal
Apr 16-17 No School K thru 5
Mar 2
PSO Meet the Maestro event
Apr 18
Mar 10-14 No School (Spring Break)
No School (Easter Break)
From the Director, continued
school. The target dates for accomplishing all that was suggested in the final
report are not “suggestions” they are “absolutes” and will provide an emphasis
and timeline that I have not had to face.
In summary, I am proud of all that we have accomplished over the past eight
years. A strong faculty and staff, working in tandem with a group of supportive
parents has made this possible. As I’ve said in the past, my educational icon is
Vidal Sassoon. As he was known to say, “If you look good, I look good.”
Thank you.
Wendell
One Call Now®
Dear Falk Families –
We’re excited to introduce the use of the One Call Now® Message
Notification System to the Falk community. Commencing in mid-February, we will begin utilizing an automated messaging system that will allow
us to streamline communications with our families. It’s the perfect tool for
sending emergency alerts and urgent notifications.
How Does One Call Now Work? One Call Now allows school personnel to
keep you updated quickly and efficiently with personalized messages and
helps you, as a parent, stay actively involved in your child’s education. As
a parent, if you choose to participate in One Call Now, you may select two
ways to be contacted. They are:
• Routine notification – these are calls that do not directly deal with the
safety of students or staff. These calls may include, but are not limited
to: school closings or delays, the cancellation of a school activity that
your child is involved in, or information on upcoming events. The primary
number(s) you give to the school cannot opt out of receiving school closing
and delay information. When we have inclement weather and have to
close or delay school those calls will begin being placed as soon as we
have notification regarding the status of the Pittsburgh Public School
District. Also, the primary number will receive all of the same calls that the
emergency number receives. I would also like to point out that One Call
Now also offers the convenience of receiving a text message.
• Emergency notification – these notices are made only during critical incidents in which a child’s or staff member’s safety is in immediate
jeopardy. These calls may include, but not be limited to, lockdowns,
evacuations and relocations. If you designate a number as emergency it
will not receive notification of school closing or delays.
Importance of Accurate Contact Information – If you choose to participate in One Call Now, for it to work effectively and efficiently, it is important
that we have updated phone numbers and email addresses. The One
Call Now system will call the home, cell or any phone number to which
you need a message sent. Each child enrolled in our school system may
have up to six phone numbers that link to his or her parents, grandparents,
child-care provider, etc. You may supply up to five email addresses to be
contacted.
We will contact you as we get closer to rolling this program out. If you have
any questions, please email Kelly Maddox at kmaddox@pitt.edu.
Contact Information
2013-14 Falk PTO Officers:
Director
Wendell McConnaha
412-624-8022
Secretary
Jina Kaufman
412-422-5920
President
Kym Jordan Simmons
412-513-9833
Treasurer
Michael Steich
412-521-1281
Vice President
Martica Hall
412-309-2940
www.falkschool.pitt.edu
2
Primary News
Happy New Year! We hope everyone enjoyed the winter break. We are looking
forward to a great 2014 and have started off the year with a lot of exciting
experiences.
Prior to the break we
had another successful Primary Holiday
Breakfast. Thank you to
the PTO for sponsoring
this event. We made
some well-liked changes
to the menu and served
freshly made pancakes,
turkey sausage and
fresh fruit. The children
enjoyed this delicious
breakfast and the
extra time with their
buddies. In December,
we also were happy
to participate in a
special event for second
grader, Simon Nigam.
He played the part of
“Tiny Tim” in A Musical
Christmas Carol at the
Byham Theater. The
children were happy
to support Simon and
really enjoyed seeing
him perform. Great job
Simon!
Kindergarten had a lot
of fun prior to the break
with our gingerbread
chase and gingerbread
houses. With the start of
the year we are singing
songs about snow and
enjoying winter related
activities. In addition
to that, we are learning about light and
shadows in Science.
This is a wonderful
unit for the children
to explore where light
comes from, how to
block light and how to
create shadows. We are
looking forward to the
Korean student teachers visiting again this
January. We will have
one student teacher in
each of the Kindergarten
classrooms for a two week international practicum. This is a very enriching
experience for all of us as we learn about a new culture and welcome them to
our school.
Holiday Breakfast!
First grade is also having a great year. Room 20,
has been busy, busy, busy! We worked with Ms.
Capezzuti to create a garden of repurposed plastic
bags. This project was inspired by Pedro Reyes’
work Disarm, which we saw at the Carnegie
International. We are now hard at work preparing
for our performance of Macbeth. Wowee! Another
focus in Room 21 this year has been the study of
mythology, and so far we have looked at the belief
systems of the Egyptians, Aztecs, and Native
Americans. The students are particularly excited
to explore our next unit, Ancient Greece! We were
sad to see Ms. Bouvy go, but our class is excited
to welcome Ms. Fox for the second half of our
school year.
Second grade had four amazing performances
of “Hansel and Gretel Eat Right”. We appreciated
all the fun we had working together to put on a
fabulous show for our friends and family. Besides
working hard on our play, we studied Geography
in Social Studies. Additionally in Social Studies,
we learned what continent, country, state, city, and
neighborhood we live in. December was exciting with all the activities we were able to attend
and participate in such as: seeing Simon Nigam
perform in A Musical Christmas Carol, going to
the Carnegie International, making an art project
at the Union Project (Room 19 will be attending
in February), and having our buddy reader help
us make our placemat for the holiday breakfast.
The last day of school before break was a blast!
We ate with our primary buddies, listened to the
Intermediate Chorus, and then we played with all
of our Primary friends and had fun the rest of the
morning. Now that break is over, we look forward
to our new Science unit “Things Move/Get These
Marbles Rolling”,
seeing “Stuck”
at the Byham
Theater, and of
course celebrating
both the 100th
day of school and
Valentine’s Day in
February!
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Volume 25, Issue 2
Intermediate News
In their own words....
Well, first of all I think Falk is the best school ever!
But what I really like about Falk is spelling class
and handwriting. Because there is this thing that’s
called “The Magic C.” We use it for handwriting and
spelling. Also another reason I like handwriting and
spelling is because when the teacher wants you
to copy something all of the students have chalk
boards and the teacher writes something on the
white board. The kids copy it on the chalk board
and when they are done they hold it up!.
- by Calla Troxel, 3rd Grade
I like Art because you get to imagine things and
be creative about things. One thing I like is that if
some paint spills you can make it into something
like a tree or grass. I also like art because you
are always making something new. Which is fun!
That’s why I like art.
- by Tsehaynesh Rigotti, 3rd grade
In math class we worked on polygons. We wrote
our names in polygons. Polygons have at least 3
closed sides and no curved sides. It looked really
cool because some of us have “s” in our names so
we had to make them with straight lines. We
also designed them so they would look
cool. The designs did not have to be
polygons.
- Alexis Alarcon, 3rd Grade
In P.E. we played a game called
Yuki-ball. It was REALLY fun. We
were the first class to play it!
- by Benjamin Merchant, 3rd Grade
I like the pumpkin farm because I got really muddy
and the slide was huge! I really like specials too,
in Art we are making animal houses. My animal is
a bull. I like SHERP because I get to learn about
bugs and where and how and when they live. I like
P.E. because we get to play really fun games and
I like music because I get to express myself. I like
math most of all things because in class we get to
play math games.
- by Harry Leibovich, 3rd Grade
I love SHERP, it is my favorite subject in school! I
love to go to the pumpkin farm. I was getting really
muddy and wet! And I love personal narrative,
because I love to write stories of myself.
- by Malcolm Kurtz, 3rd Grade
In Robotics, 4th graders in room 121 are working
on their final projects. The final projects consist of
a robot performing a task. Some groups make their
robot go through a maze, others make the robot
drop a ball. There are three stages in designing
4
the task: 1st you fill out a sheet with a diagram
of the task and materials needed; 2nd you use a
spreadsheet type card and decide on the program
and write it out; and 3rd you program a lot (and test
a lot, too!) until the task is completed. Then you
show the teacher and you are finished. After all of
that you will perform in front of 3rd grade. A long
process, but definitely a cool class subject.
- by Teodora Gildengers, 4th grade
Seven Butterflies (A “Haiku” poem)
Seven Butterflies.
Having fun in the meadow.
A fluttering bunch.
- by Etienne Strandberg-Houze, 3rd Grade
In Science the 4th grade has been building Lego
Robots. We started building them a few months
ago, and then in computer class they started
programming them. They first did basic movement
and sensing and then they moved on to advanced
stuff.
- by Ian Mackey-Piccolo, 4th grade
On Wednesday during recess we stayed in and
we made snowflakes. Then we colored
the snowflakes. Mine was rainbow
colored.
- by Jacqueline Leong, 4th grade
In SHERP we are building bug
hotels and in spring we will be
attracting butterflies by putting
posts with flowers around the
bug hotel. We are also attracting
worms, pillbugs, slugs and wasps. We
hope some bugs will lay eggs in the bug hotel. I
think our bug hotel is really good!
- by Froukje Schlingemann, 4th grade
In art class we (the 4th grade) are making clay
castles and glazing them and they look super cool!
We got to use all kinds of different colors of glaze!
Before this awesome project we were making
fantasy woodland creatures. We got to use mini
jewels, hot glue and a ton of cool stuff. We got to
collect acorn tops for hats and we used wool for
hair, and in January we are making fairy homes for
our woodland creatures. Wish us luck!
- by Gracie Cain, 4th grade
On Tuesday everyone in Intermediate found out
about PJ day! Everyone was talking about what
they were going to wear. The next day almost all
the kids and teachers wore PJs. First we looked
at each other’s PJs, and when we started the day
every one acted like the day was normal!
- by Skyler Ed, 4th grade
Intermediate News, continued
In Writing we are working on a letter to the author.
It is a one paragraph formal letter to an author of a
book that we recently read. It’s really fun.
- by Grant Mowry , 4th grade
In math class in 5th grade we are learning about
angles and degrees. We are using protractors to do
some of it. I really liked when we looked for angles
in the classroom. It is really fun because some of
us are really good at it, but if you are not, then it is
easy for other people to help you so everyone has
a nice time.
- by Hannah Thompson, 5th Grade
In Social Studies we were doing continent projects.
We split into 7 groups of 3 and 4 and were working
on a power point. We are using Google Drive so we
can work from home or from school without a flash
drive. We have recently been finishing our projects.
- by Pablo Coen-Pirani, 5th Grade
And one more thing…
When we had a big snowfall in December, the 5th grade made a spectacular
snowman. He was at least 8 feet tall! Ms. D helped us get the middle and top
sections in place, but we did all the other work!
- by The 5th Graders
Physical Education News
Falk Students Stacked It Up!!!!
The Falk 5th thru 8th grade Physical Education
(PE) classes that met on Thursday November
14th, as well as students attending the before and
after school programs on that day, participated in
the World Sport Stacking Association STACK UP
CHALLENGE!! The challenge featured students
from the aforementioned classes engaging in 30-40
minutes of cup stacking during their scheduled
PE and program times. Falk students participated
simultaneously with students from other states, countries, and continents.
6th Graders Stacking
Intently: Cameron
Mackey-Piccolo, Daevan
Mangalmurti, & Charles
Burton
The global goal of the STACK UP CHALLENGE was to generate more than 483,000 student stackers
on Thursday November 14th, worldwide, and surpass this total from the 2012 STACK UP CHALLENGE.
To do so, Falk students participated in different cup stacking activities that included; up stacking, down
stacking, 3-3 stacking, and fitness and tag game stacking.
The anticipation mounted as more than a week passed before the total number of student stackers was
revealed. When the verdict was finally announced, guess what?
The Falk student’s hard work and stacking dedication coupled with the worldwide student-stacking
congregation surpassed the previous year’s total!!! A total of 555,932 stackers were counted worldwide!!!!
WOO HOO!! The old record was shattered!! Nice Job Falk Students!!
Special thanks to Ms. Northrop, Ms. Bachman, and Ms. Hunt
Article by Mr. Lopick
5
Volume 25, Issue 2
Music Notes
Music, Drama and Dance continue to flourish in
the Performing Arts Wing at Falk School. As we
reflect on our recent general music classes and
performances, both Dr. Conover and Ms. Sassani
are thankful for the spirit of our students both in the
Falk Building and out and about Pittsburgh.
• On November 8th and November 11th, our
Middle School Chorus and 5th Grade Chorus
performed at the VA Hospital to honor our
veterans for Veterans Day.
• On November 19th, the full school community gathered in the Kindergarten Courtyard
and sang “Kuna Karamu” (Let’s Celebrate)
for a short ceremony to unveil the completed
tree sculpture by chain saw carver Luke
Sassani.
The event included
• On November 19th, 20th & 21st, our second
grade performers delighted our school
with a musical production called “Hansel &
Gretel Eat Right.” This comical performance
reminded us all of the importance of good nutrition.
Pittsburgh’s most
unique menorah,
designed by local
architect Batia
• On December 4th, the 8th night of Hanukkah, hundreds of families and
individuals, Jewish and non-Jewish came together at the Heinz History
Center and heard the Falk Middle School Chorus sing for IllumiNER
ExtraordiNER. The event included Pittsburgh’s most unique menorah,
designed by local architect Batia Rasco and was filled with canned food
that was donated to the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry.
Rasco and was filled
with canned food
that was donated
to the Squirrel Hill
• On December 19th, the Middle School Chorus and Intermediate Chorus
finished 2013 out with an outstanding Winter Holiday Choral Concert to a
completely full audience in the Falk Gymnasium.
Food Pantry.
6
PSO
“Meet the
Maestro”
event
This is the
fourth year
that Falk
collaborates with the Pittsburgh Symphony for
a grand Meet the Maestro event at Heinz Hall.
Come join Falk families on Sunday March 2nd
to hear Joshua Bell perform Lalo’s Symphonie
Espagnole and to meet Maestro Gianandrea
Noseda at an exclusive post-concert reception.
The Middle School Chorus will also be performing prior to the show in the Grand Lobby.
More information and discounted tickets are
available at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/falk,
or pick up an order form at the front desk.
In response to parent requests for additional
discounts on family-friendly concerts, the
orchestra is offering three family specials this
season: Music of John Williams (Jan. 23-26),
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony (April 10-13),
and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (May 30-June 1).
Purchase tickets online by entering promo
code 40630 or use this link http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/promotion/show/40630.
Tickets are $15 in the gallery section.
Questions? Contact moniquemead@aol.com
See you at the Symphony!
We look forward to the following upcoming
performances...
• In February the 5th grade students
will perform a musical production of
the two folk tales, “How Music Came
to the Earth” and “The Bremen Town
Musicians” using marionette puppets
that they are making during art classes.
• February 16th – Middle School Chorus
will sing the National Anthem at “Pink
the Pete” – Pitt Women’s Basketball to
support the Pittsburgh affiliate of the
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fund.
• March 2nd – Middle School Chorus will
sing in the lobby of Heinz Hall before
the annual Falk PSO Meet the Maestro
event.
7
Volume 25, Issue 2
Middle School News
Cedar Point Fundraising
Spanish:
Our annual trip is scheduled for the end of May,
and when we decided to make it an overnight
trip, we thought the kids could work and earn
the money to go. So hence, all the solicitation
via weekly emails for jobs that the kids can
do to accomplish their goal. If you need a
babysitter, or pet sitter, or mail retriever, or
snow shoveler, please contact Ms. Coughlin
(emc981@pitt.edu or 412-624-8016) and she
will put you in touch with the perfect 8th grader
for the job! Thank you to all the families past
and present who have helped the kids achieve
the goal!
6th grade students have been working on a variety
of topics in Spanish class. They have created
conversations with puppets, they discussed
the weather forecast of different countries and
they have studied the geography of all Spanishspeaking countries. Recently, they have started
to study some grammar and the verb “to be” in
Spanish and learning more about the structure of
the language as well as the culture of the target
language. They are doing a great job in class!
Science:
6th and 7th grade students
have participated in a
science fair, with projects
completed in a variety of
content areas – physics,
chemistry, environmental
science, biology, etc. They created posters that
were on display in the middle school hallway to
show off their research and hard work. They all did
an amazing job! Thank you to our judges from the
Falk community for volunteering, as well.
8th graders are continuing their studies in physics,
and have started to investigate and research roller
coasters. They will have to construct a functional
roller coaster with a theme and safety precautions. So if you have any Legos or dowel rods or
cardboard you would like to get rid of, please send
them our way.
Language Arts:
6th grade has recently finished reading the novel
Nothing But the Truth, for which they wrote an
essay exploring character. The Independent
Writing Project, five pages of their own creative
writing, is just around the bend (for all of the
middle school). Most recently, we are working
on creating skits for our 6th grade play. It’s
been an energetic and lively time brainstorming ideas.
7th grade Language Arts students are
finalizing the research books they wrote for
their second grade partners. They will be
printed out as hard copies as well as turned
into iBooks. We just finished reading Scott
Westerfeld’s dystopian novel Uglies and are
starting Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird.
8
The 8th graders recently completed a unit about
party planning and quinceañeras in Spanishspeaking countries. Quinceañeras are “coming of
age” celebrations that occur when a girl turns 15
years old in many Spanish-speaking countries.
In class, the students learned what needs to be
done to plan this type of celebration as well as
what happens during one. Then, the students
planned and actualized their own Spanish class
quinceañera. They made typical Hispanic food and
a birthday cake, planned and organized activities,
researched and put together Spanish music playlists, made decorations and invitations, learned the
waltz, spoke a lot of Spanish, and celebrated two
students’ “15th birthdays”. Check out some of the
candid pictures taken during our fiesta!
HAPPY
15th!
Library News
Intermediate Level Book Club
Our book club discussion of Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood was
both lively and fun. We talked about how the book connected
to other books, our lives, and the world. Curiously, there were
many comments about chickens, which, if not exactly central to
the book, were a part of the story. Our next book will be another
PYRCA book, Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire!
by Mrs. Bunny, translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath. The
following description is from Ms Horvath’s website:
Madeline’s parents have gone missing. Her only clues? A note
tacked on the fridge from someone called The Enemy, a file card
covered in a squiggly secret code, and dozens of red eyes staring out the blackened windows of a car she saw speeding down
her driveway. And Madeline could swear the driver was a fox . . .
Luckily, Madeline encounters two bunnies who have decided to
take up detective work (detectives get to wear fedoras) and are
willing to come to her aid—pro bono. And if her parents’ kidnappers are foxes, who better than rabbit detectives to sniff them
out?
We will meet with students to discuss the book on Monday
February 17th.
Collaborative Work
One of our library goals is to support classroom curricula. In
6th grade, we teach students how to use NoodleTools, a webbased program for the academic research process. This year,
Mr. Miller, our library intern, introduced the NoodleTools to the
6th grade in the context of their Science Fair Project. Students
needed a bibliography for their Project, and during instruction
they learned how to cite a print resource in MLA format as well as
some shortcuts using the ISBN.
Audio Books
Audiobooks support literacy and reading. Sharon Glover, an
authority on audiobooks, writes, “While there are certain reading
skills that listening doesn’t enhance like word recognition and
spelling, there are also many benefits to reading with your ears, a
fact that makes audiobooks an indispensable literacy tool. As the
research demonstrates, listening to audiobooks develops critical
listening skills, builds vocabulary and even increases reading
fluency.”
The library’s collection includes over 200 audio books; the
majority are Playaways, which are pre-loaded MP3 players and
include earbuds. Only intermediate and middle level students
may borrow audiobooks. Many teachers encourage students to
read a print copy while listening.
Parents need to be aware of the high cost of Playaways, which
ranges from $35 to $70. Earbuds and lanyards can be replaced
at little cost. However, if the Playaway itself is lost, the family is
expected to pay the replacement cost. Parents are encouraged
to discuss this with their children. If you do not wish to have
your child take on this responsibility, make sure he or she knows
this. Please let us know if you do not want your child to borrow
Playaways.
The Library Website
This site is a valuable communication tool, providing information
about the library staff, schedule, classes, collection selection
policy, programs, events, news, online resources, and much
more. Mr. Outerbridge and Ms. Williams maintain the website.
If you want to help your child find something new to read,
check out NoveList. To access resource lists for class projects
and assignments, click the Curriculum Resources tab. Mr.
Outerbridge, Ms. Williams, and the classroom teachers
collaborate to provide students with easy access to the resources
needed for their projects.
Explore Online Resources
The library subscribes to several online
databases. All are accessible from
d
both school and home computers.
b
From home computers you will need
F
a username and/or password. Links to
tthe databases are found on the library
web page. All the passwords are found
w
iin the online document “Passport to
Passwords,” which can be found on
P
tthe Curriculum and Resources tab and
is password protected; ask one of the
llibrarians for the password.
• Britannica School Edition: The Encyclopedia Britannica,
Compton’s by Britannica, and Elementary Britannica, timelines,
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, world atlas, websites, magazine
articles, videos, and interactive media
• Grolier Online: Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia
Encyclopedia, New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia, The
New Book of Popular Science, and Lands and Peoples; also
includes dictionaries, atlas and timeline
• Gale Student Resource Center: Reference book articles,
periodicals, biographies, essays, primary source documents,
photographs, graphics, audio and videos
• Gale Virtual Reference Library: Selected reference books as
E-books
• Maps101.com: Teacher lesson plans, geography tools, online
learning games, interactive map modules and printable history;
thematic, reference, outline, current events and animated maps
• NoodleTools: Bibliography composer
• POWER Library: (available through the Carnegie Library with
a library card) EBSCOHost, AP Images, SIRS Discoverer,
Contemporary Authors, Auto Repair Reference Center,
Consumer Health Complete and more
continued on page 10
9
Volume 25, Issue 2
Library News, continued
Birthday/Gift Book Program
The library and the PTO coordinate this program as
a means of expanding the library collection while
commemorating special events and special persons: birthdays, holidays, grandparents, teachers,
interns and sometimes even pets. An appropriate
bookplate is placed in each book. All Falk students,
teachers, interns, and staff benefit from the continuous updating of the collection.
Toward the end of October, families will receive
in the mail a letter inviting them to participate, a
donation form, and a book list. Students and adults
can also come to the library to browse books and
complete an order form. Donations can be made at
any time. Keep in mind the dollar amount for each
book is a suggested donation. This information
is also available on the library website at http://
www.falkschool.pitt.edu/library-pages/about/
Gift-book-program.
Ms Sarah Delano and Ms Natasha Girel coordinate
this program with Ms Williams. If you have any
questions about the Gift Book Program, contact Ms
Williams at 412-624-8516 or lwilliam@pitt.edu.
Library Gifts
Thank you to those who donated books in March,
April and May:
PAIS Accreditation Team, The Curious Garden by
Peter Brown, April 2013
Mary Lou Lykowski, Trust No One by Linda Sue
Park and Discover More Bugs by Penelope Arlon in
honor of Edie Smith’s retirement, June 2013
Michael Haas, Tales for Very Picky Eaters by Josh
Schneider in honor of Edie Smith’s retirement,
June 2013
Ian Zuroski, exclamation mark by Amy Krouse
Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, September 2013
Lee Ann Conover, When Bob Met Woody by
Gary Golio in memory of James Wittig, August
2013; Baseball by Steve Goldsworthy in memory
of Donald Priore, September 2013; Nana Upstairs
& Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola and Why
Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna
Aardema in memory of Barbara Moore, October
2013
Donna Priore, I, Galileo by Bonnie Christensen in
memory of Don Priore, who taught her to be proud
of her Italian heritage, September 2013
Laurie Williams, Today on Election Day by
Catherine Stier in memory of Donald Priore,
September 2013; Under Siege by Andrea Warren
in memory of James Wittig, August 2013; and
Grandma’s Gift by Eric Velasquez in memory
of Barbara Moore, mother of Christine Herring,
October 2013
Deb Carleton, The Boy Who Loved Math:
The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah
Helligman in memory of James Wittig, August 2013
Rebecca Wright, Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper,
October 2013
Laurie Williams, The Day the Crayons Quit by
Drew Daywalt, October 2013
Luke Hartman, The Cazuela That the Farm
Maiden Stirred by Samatha R. Vamos in honor of
his birthday, October 10, 2013
Rubyana Ashman and Santiago Barratt-Boyes,
15 hardcover and 3 paperback books, October
2013
Carole Bost, One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo in
honor of Edie Smith’s retirement, June 2013
Ben Grossman, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
in honor of his grandmother, Ellen Falk Hirsh,
November 2013
Mary M Kerr, The Palace of Versailles by Christian
Heinrich and The Cruisers by Walter Dean Myers in
honor of Edie Smith’s retirement, June 2013
Henry Fisher, Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian
by Eoin Colfer in memory of Henry “Bapa” Fisher,
November 2013
Charlene Trovato, Flora’s Very Windy Day by
Jeanne Birdsall in honor of Edie Smith’s retirement,
June 2013
Xavier and Maia Ramirez, Emperor Penguins
by Michael Molnar and Sugar Changed the World
by Marc Aronson in honor of J. Roland Ramirez,
November 2013
Marjie Schermer and Shelly Kinsel, Cardboard
by Doug TenNapel and Back to Front and Upside
Down by Claire Alexander in honor of Edie Smith’s
retirement, June 2013
Denise P. Morrin, LaRue Across America by Mark
Teague and The Astro Outlaw by David A. Kelly in
honor of Edie Smith’s retirement, June 2013
Benny Mathier, Worst of Friends by Suzanne Tripp
Jurman, June 2013
10
Madeline Shmiedeknecht, You Wish by Jason
Lethcoe, June 2013
Jacob Brodkey, Flying and Weather by Gallimard
Jeunesse, Learn to Draw Race Cars by Waleed
Rashidi, Corduroy by Don Freeman, Dear Primo by
Duncan Tontiuh, and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack
Keats, November 2013
Laura Brodkey, Light by Michael Grant, Theodore
Boone: The Accused by John Grisham, The Egypt
Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Unwanteds:
Island of Fire by Lisa McMann, and The Dust Bowl:
Through the Lens by Martin W. Sandler, November
2013
Library News, continued
David Ross, One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes retold by Eric Kimmel, Curious
George Makes Pancakes by Margaret and H. A. Rey, Sock and Glove by
Miyako Kanamori, Valentine & Orson by Nancy Ekholm Burkert, The Swan
Maiden by Howard Pyle, and Pinocchio adapted by Ed Young, June and
November 2013
Evelyn Tipper, Cavern of Clues by David Glover in
honor of her birthday, May 5, 2014
Laurie Williams, 6 hardcover books and one
paperback book purchased at NCTE, November
2013
Elliot Setiya, Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk by Megan McDonald, Ike’s
Incredible Ink by Brianne Farley, and The Tyrannosaurus Game by Steven
Kroll, November
2013
Perla McEllistrem, Miss Smith Under the Ocean
by Michael Garland in honor of her birthday, July
28, 2013
Joanne Ridge, Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and
Mac Barnett and Alex, November 2013
Rebecca Wright, The Trap Door by Lisa McMann,
Curse of the Ancients by Matt de la Pena, and
Behind Enemy Lines by Jennifer A. Nielsen,
November 2013
Luke Pena, Who Lays Eggs? by Karen Latchana
Kenney and Marty McGuire Digs Worms! by Kate
Messner in honor of Ms Sarada and Mr Herring,
November 2013
THE HEARTWOOD PROGRAM
The Heartwood Program is a literature-based ethics curriculum for children.
The program uses illustrated books from representative cultures around the
world to help children understand seven attributes: courage, loyalty, justice,
respect, hope, honesty, and love. The stories are primarily folklore, legends
and hero tales. The books are read aloud in class and then discussed. The
different attributes are featured according to a schedule throughout the
school year. Parents are encouraged to read the books aloud with their
children. Many of the books are available at the public library and the Falk
School Library. See the Heartwood Institute website http://www.heartwoodethics.org/.
Justice is the attribute for January
Main Books:
Androcles and the Lion by J. Stevens
The Sign in Mendel’s Window by M. Phillips
Nellie’s Trip South by A. Turner
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks by K. Paterson
Prince Boghole by E. Hargard
The Warrior and the Wise Man by D. Wisniewski
Supplementary Books:
Chicken Sunday by P. Polacco
Eggs by Aliki
Nora Coen-Pirani, R My Name is Rachel by
Patricia Reilly Giff in honor of her birthday, October
1, 2013
Pablo Coen-Pirani, The Scorpio Races by Maggie
Stiefvater in honor of his birthday, June 27, 2013
Michael, Jessica and Jack Morrowitz, Zoo’s Who
by Douglas Florian in honor of Anna Morowitz’s
birthday, December 6, 2013
Dylan and Zahra Nauhaus, Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren and Emeraldalicious by Victoria
Kann in honor of Ms Herring, Ms Dimitrovski, and
Ms Weiss for being such wonderful teachers
Charlie Gomulka, cash donation, December 2013
Olivia Leibovich, Across the Great Barrier by
Patricia Wrede, December 2013
Harry Leibovich, Greek Myths by Olivia Coolidge,
December 2013
Lillian Leibovich, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell,
December 2013
Gage Crowley, Scary Sharks by Camilla de la
Bedoyere and Flood by Alvaro F. Villa in honor of
his birthday, July 1, 2014
Hannah Anderson-Brownlee, Just Grace and the
Double Surprise by Charise Mericle Harper, The
Thing about Luck by Cynthis Kadata, Sacagawea
by Lise Erdich, and A Good Knight’s Rest by
Shelley Moore Thomas, December 2013
Sarah Anderson-Brownlee, Winnie-the-Pooh by
A. A. Milne, The Little Prince by Antoine de SaintExupery, Be Nice to Spiders by Margaret Bloy
Graham, and What Floats in a Moat? by Lynne
Berry, December 2013
Benoni Outerbridge, From Norvelt to Nowhere by
Jack Gantos and Once Upon a Northern Night by
Jean E. Pendziwol, December 2013
The Enchanted Book by J. Proazinska
Faithful Elephants by Y. Tsuchiya
I Am Your Misfortune by M. Rudolph
Korean Cinderella by E. B. Adams
The Little Red Hen by P. Goldone
One Fine Day by N. Hogrogian
The Rough-Face Girl by R. Martin
The Story of Ferdindand by M. Leaf
Strega Nona by T. DePaola
Three Gold Pieces by Aliki
11
Volume 25, Issue 2
Falk Laboratory School
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA 15216
Published by the Falk School PTO
Editors
Anne Brownlee
annebrownlee@gmail.com
Deborah Walker
dlwalker23@yahoo.com
Designer
Patricia Tsagaris
pinkhaus.design@verizon.net
Please send us your contributions
for future editions of FalkTalk.
Go Primary!