On December 11, 16 of our students participated in the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge, held at Stage AE on the North Shore. Students were organized into five teams and spent the day immersed in a fast-paced, real-world investing simulation.Competing against 79 teams from across the region, one of our teams (Sara Ilnicki, Jeyri Gonzalez-Medina, and Alexa Perez) earned an impressive 10th-place finish, demonstrating strong collaboration, financial literacy, and decision-making skills under pressure.

The challenge simulated 60 days of stock market activity in a single day, with each minute representing one trading day. Teams were allowed to make up to three trades per day, requiring students to analyze market conditions, make strategic decisions, and adapt quickly to changing circumstances. Participation in the JA Stock Market Challenge provided students with a hands-on opportunity to apply economic concepts, practice teamwork, and gain valuable insight into how financial markets operate in real time.

Thank you to high school teachers, Mr. Andrew Oliastro and Mrs. Kristen Bardelli, for all of their work getting the teams ready to compete.

The Cornell School District will be honoring Charles Williams, Coraopolis Class of 1944, as our next Wall of Fame inductee. The presentation will take place on Friday, September 12 at the football game. Charles Williams entered the United States Army Air Corp after graduation and then served in the Tuskegee Airmen Combat Unit.

Thank you to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their generous donation to the Cornell Raider football team! Pittsburgh Steeler, Alex Highsmith helped surprise the players after practice when he helped deliver new football shoulder pads, practice equipment and practice jersey to the team! Giant Eagle was also on hand to feed the student-athletes after they helped unload the delivery truck! Thank you to the Pittsburgh Steelers and to Giant Eagle for their support and generosity!

Ms. Morgan Harouse and a small team of 8th grade students collaborated with peers from 16 other Pennsylvania school districts to produce an animated film, Finding Stories of Wonder in the Land of Oz, written and directed by students.

The Land of Oz project provided students with hands-on experience in the moviemaking process—from scriptwriting and storyboarding to animating and editing. Through this collaborative effort, students discovered the power of storytelling and technology while developing valuable communication and creative thinking skills.

Congratulations to high school science teacher, Mr. Kevin Quigley, and his ecology students on earning their Tree Tender certification. The Tree Tender program was developed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) in collaboration with Penn State Extension Urban Foresters and equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to restore and care for urban forests in their communities. The training is offered by Tree Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. Mr. Quigley’s class was the first school-based group to complete the training.

On March 27, 2025, six 10th-grade students from Cornell High School took part in the Student Sustainable Design Challenge in Pittsburgh, PA. This regional event encouraged student engagement with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through real-world problem solving.

The Cornell team began their journey at a kickoff event, where they learned about the SDGs from expert presenters and participated in round-table discussions with professionals working in sustainability-related fields. Inspired by the need for fresh produce in underserved communities, the students focused their project on food insecurity.

After researching crops suitable for Cornell’s greenhouse, they developed a plan to grow vegetables for the local food bank in Coraopolis. To extend the impact of their project, the team also created and delivered a lesson on sustainable agriculture to two Environmental Science classes, who then selected and planted crops in the school’s greenhouse and classroom grow stations.

At the final showcase held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, students Drake Barr, Luke Stutzman, and Alexa Perez represented the group by presenting a poster and fielding questions about their work. They also connected with peers from other schools to share ideas and celebrate student-driven sustainability initiatives.

Through this project, Cornell students not only addressed a local community need but also inspired younger students to take part in sustainable agriculture efforts.

Our High School Esports teams which are currently in 3rd and 6th place out of 47 teams playing Fortnite in the High School Esports League (HSEL) via Generation Esports. Good luck with the rest of the season! Good luck and keep up the great work!!!