Avonworth Highlights

Avonworth School District earned three 2025 Gene Kelly Awards for its production of Sweeney Todd, including honors for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Crew/Technical Execution, and Vocal Ensemble.

Avonworth School District has been featured in Kidsburgh numerous times, highlighting the district’s innovative programs as well as the success of our students, staff and schools.

Read Avonworth's Kidsburgh features. 

We're proud of Dr. Dwulit, Avonworth HS Principal, for being featured in Pittsburgh Business Times for her work with the Community Leadership Course for Veterans (CLCV) through Leadership Pittsburgh Inc.

Avonworth School District enjoyed two lively taiko drumming performances by Peaceful Forest, featuring three of our own students and their father on a journey to complete 1,000 shows across all 50 states.

Kindergarten students explored the science of weather with a special visit from WPXI Chief Meteorologist Stephen Cropper, bringing their classroom investigations to life.

Dr. Miller and Ms. Keane were honored with the Policy Champion Award at the Annual Hi5! Celebration for their leadership in creating a supportive and collaborative kindergarten transition at APC.

Avonworth High School students created a successful marketing plan for Sarris Chocolate’s Peanut Butter Buckeyes in Quebec as part of the University of Pittsburgh’s International Marketing Competition.

Avonworth 8th graders hosted the 7th Annual Chase the Antelopes 5K and raised over $7,000 for the Hannah Milbert Memorial Fund, showcasing months of hard work, community spirit, and leadership.

8th grader Kate Jeon earned a National Silver Medal in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her personal essay, “As Seasons Pass By,” and will be honored at Carnegie Hall this June.

Avonworth's 6th Grade Band and High School Wind Ensemble both earned Superior ratings at the PMEA Music Performance Assessment at Heinz Hall, with the MS Band achieving its third consecutive top rating and the HS Ensemble earning its highest score ever.

APC first graders wrapped up their space unit with a special visit from the Moonshot Museum, thanks to support from the Avonworth Fund for Educational Excellence.

Six Avonworth students were selected to participate in the 2025 PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Festival, where they performed alongside top young musicians from across the region.

Naklah proudly represented Avonworth at the LLS Student Visionaries Grand Finale, where student leaders raised thousands to support the fight against blood cancer.

Avonworth High School students competed in the Student Sustainability Design Challenge, working to improve the school's recycling program and presenting their findings.

Avonworth Primary students enjoyed a fun-filled visit from Pizza and Taco author Stephen Shaskan, who shared stories, sang songs, and taught them to draw their favorite characters!

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Dylan Lope for filming and producing this video about the Career Expo. Click here to watch it. 

Students in the Health & Medicine Pathway program at Avonworth High School recently had the extraordinary opportunity to witness a live open-heart surgery performed by an all-female surgical team at Allegheny General Hospital.

Thank you to Avonworth High School students Dylan Lope & Eli Gardner for filming and producing this video about Avonworth Pathways. Click here to watch it.

Thank you to Avonworth High School students Marshall McCall, Jase Klatzkin & Lucy Jacobs for filming and producing this video about the 2035 Avonworth Graduation Party. Click here to watch it. 

Thank you to Avonworth High School students Marshall McCall & Lucy Jacobs for filming and producing this video about the Avonworth Bocce Team. Click here to watch it. 

8th Grade Civics students guided by Heinz History Center docents to present overcoming adversity projects on March 21.

Vanessa Amayo (Grade 12, flute) and Kaleb Amick (Grade 10, horn) represented Avonworth at the PMEA Region I Band Festival 2025, where both excelled in the final round of auditions, earning spots in the 2025 PMEA All-State Concert Band. Their success highlights the strength of Avonworth’s music program!

Avonworth Christian Youth Club brought joy to residents at Apple Blossom Senior Living through fun activities and meaningful connections.

Gbemi Odebode, an Avonworth senior, was named a National High School Award winner by the National Center for Women in Technology, recognizing her achievements in computing, and will attend MIT to study computational molecular biology and cognition.

APC students enhanced their understanding of Galileo’s discoveries through The Next Galileo performance, blending history, science, and music with their classroom lessons

Avonworth students who participated in the Fall Play recently performed at Prime Stage High School Drama Awards as a nominee for Best Production for "Twelve Angry Jurors." In addition to being nominated for Best Production, Ella Ging was nominated for Best Actress. 

The students put on another fantastic performance. Congratulations to all!  

In honor of Black History Month and the Special Olympics, students across the district created a Kindness Chain to promote inclusivity and unity, now displayed in front of the Lopes Lounge as a reminder of the power of kindness.

Avonworth School District was recently featured in the "AIU Connections" magazine. 

"The Power of Belonging: Avonworth's Inclusive Approach" can be found on page 34 of the magazine (page 36 of the PDF). Click here to read it. 

APC brought the RIASEC letters to life in an exciting, hands-on event that involved the entire school community. 

Congratulations to APC first grade teacher, Mrs. Russell, on being named the WTAE Teacher of the Month for February!

View the story on WTAE.

Our very own Becky Marszalek is a top 5 finalist for the National Education Association Education Support Professional of the year!!

Read all about it HERE

Avonworth High School senior, Emma Noss, has earned the prestigious title of National Merit Finalist. 

Congratulations to two exceptional seniors, Zori Soles and Ari McCarson, for earning Silver Keys in the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! 

We’re proud to announce an exciting collaboration at APC  that’s bringing cutting-edge educational technology into the classroom.  Through NoRILLA’s interactive learning modes, including “Play,” “Test my Tower,” and “Compete,” students are introduced to the Engineer Design Process.

As part of this unique opportunity, we are thrilled to have NoRILLA’s Founder, Nesra Yannier, providing expert guidance to our students.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Lucy Jacobs for filming and producing this video about the new clubs at AHS. Click here to watch it.  

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video about World of Work at Avonworth. Click here to watch it.

We are proud to announce the outstanding achievements of Avonworth Middle and High School students in the Scholastic Writing Awards, the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Marshall McCall for filming and producing this video about the AI Ethics course at Avonworth. Click here to watch it.

While the marching band was on their trip, 11 Avonworth band students successfully audition for and perform in the Allegheny Valley Honors Band on January 17 at Pine-Richland High School. The students had the opportunity to work with two guest conductors - -Robert Sheldon, who is an internationally known composer of wind band music; and Gregory Drane, Director of the Marching Blue Band and Athletic Bands at Penn State University.

Seven of our high school band students recently had the opportunity to attend and compete at PMEA District 1 Band West, hosted by Hampton High School. Students had the privilege of working with guest conductor, Dr. Cheldon Williams--who is the Director of Athletic Bands and Associate Director of Bands at West Virginia University. Vanessa Amayo (flute) and Kaleb Amick (horn) both secured spots to move on to regionals early next month.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Marshall McCall for filming and producing this video about the AI Ethics course at Avonworth. Click here to watch it.

Avonworth High School junior Alaina Kosarych has taken a meaningful step to bring JAM (JAMbethekindkid) back to the Avonworth community as part of her Gold Award Girl Scouts project. Alaina's efforts began with planning an organizational meeting that was held on January 8, 2025.

Second grade students had the opportunity to learn about Native American culture and traditions from Tylar Melfi, a descendant of the Deer Clan and Erie/Seneca/Kiowa tribes, including exploring animal furs and learning a traditional dance.

"Becky Marszalek, a paraprofessional at Avonworth Elementary School in Pittsburgh, is the Pennsylvania State Education Association’s (PSEA) Dolores McCracken Education Support Professional of the Year for the 2024-25 school year.

The announcement came during American Education Week and as schools across the commonwealth prepare to celebrate Education Support Professionals Day on Nov. 20, a day to recognize the hardworking support staff who help meet students’ needs and make our schools run smoothly."

Read more from PSEA.org.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video about the Avonworth football team. Click here to watch it. 

Let's Go, 'Lopes! 

Congratulations to Mr. Ronnie Ziccardi for receiving the PARSS Grant to help improve students' musical journeys.

The Avonworth School District is excited to announce that we are the recipient of the 2024 Child Hunger Hero award from Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Marshall McCall for filming and producing this video about grief awareness at Avonworth. Click here to watch it. 

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Dylan Lope for filming and producing this video about science class offerings at Avonworth. Click here to view it.

Congratulations to Eloise, Tristan, Isaac, and Maclan—our 3rd-grade GATE students selected for the PA Invention Convention in Hershey! Their invention, "The Foodie," helps track food expiration dates and reduce waste. Proud of their hard work!

We are excited to announce that Melissa Costantino-Poruben has been selected by the White House for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in the Mathematics category, representing the state of Pennsylvania. This highly prestigious honor acknowledges Melissa’s exceptional contributions to the fields of STEM education.

The Avonworth Marching Band recently took part in an extraordinary educational opportunity at the University of Cincinnati, where they participated in a side-by-side clinic experience with the UC Director of Bands and collegiate musicians.

Lopes Football Coach Johncour is honored as Steelers High School Coach of the Year while the team is celebrated at the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Game.

Avonworth School District had a Topping Off Ceremony for the construction project on Friday, February 23. A topping off ceremony is a tradition that occurs when the last beam is placed on top of a structure during construction. 

Thank you to Avonworth junior Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video. Click here to watch it. 

Thank you to Avonworth High School students Marshall McCall and Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video about the ninth grade's visit to Camp Guyasuta.

Click here to watch it.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Dylan Lope for filming and producing this video about AES Fall Fest.

Click here to watch it.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Lucy Jacobs for filming and producing this video about the Avonworth Marching Band. Click here to watch it.

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Dylan Lope for filming and producing this video about Avonworth Aviation. Click here to watch it. 

Thank you to Avonworth High School student Lucy Jacob for filming and producing this video about fall play.

Click here to watch it. 

The Avonworth School District is proud to announce that Mr. Scott Tuffiash, a high school English teacher, won the Innovative Teacher Award. Mr. Tuffiash, who has been a dedicated educator since 2007, is also the leader of the English department’s curriculum development team.

Primary students have an exciting and valuable learning opportunity with the implementation of RIASEC, a framework that allows students to identify the best career path. 

Greg Wolfe, high school physics teacher, is serving in the AIU Chief Science Officer (CSO) Program.

Prosecuting Attorney Mike Sullivan, Esq., visited the fall play cast and crew of Twelve Angry Jurors to discuss the finer points of jury trials and the role of the juror in criminal cases.

Senior Emma Noss has qualified as a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship.

Sixth grade teacher, Melissa Costantino-Poruben, was selected as one of 50 delegates of the National Education Association to participate in the 10^th International World Congress of Teachers, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Congratulations to Avonworth 2024 graduates Gennaro Santucci and Leonardo Pacione who recently earned silver in the SkillsUSA National competition for Audio/Radio Production!

Gennaro and Leonardo combined for the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania state championship in April.

SkillsUSA National competitions were hosted in Atlanta, Georgia.

"When administrators from four Pittsburgh-area school systems learned about a California school district’s career-focused curriculum that was exposing students as young as 5 years old to a variety of professions and skill sets, they knew they wanted to bring that model to the East Coast."

Read more. 

"Whenever Principal Mike Hall began a new school year, he’d ask the students at Avonworth Middle School one question: Who in this building is your go-to adult?"

Read more in Kidsburgh. 

Thank you to Avonworth junior Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video about Avonworth's construction project. Click here to watch it. 

Thank you to Avonworth junior Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video about Avonworth's annual Chase the Antelope event.

Click here to watch it.

As part of the World of Work career exploration, students investigated the necessary skills to be a museum curator.

The end result was an “I Wonder” museum.  Students displayed their museum pieces and their findings to parents, teachers, students and community members.

Becky Marszalek has been recognized by PSEA as the Educational Support Professional of the Year!

Avonworth's spring musical production of Into the Woods sweeps the Gene Kelly Awards for High School Musical Theater, winning six awards at the ceremony:

Best Musical, Best Vocal Ensemble, Best Crew/Technical Execution, Best Lighting, Best Costume, Best Set Design

Congratulations to Avonworth Middle School’s Odyssey of the Mind team for finishing 1st in the country and 4th overall at the World Finals at Iowa State University!

The DataJam is an academic competition for high school students which focuses on teaching about the use of big data to answer a research question.

8th grade Civics students traveled to the Allegheny County Courthouse to experience the Judicial Branch firsthand.

The Avonworth Middle and High School Choirs win big at Kennywood's Music in the Parks!

It’s all planning, problem solving, and teamwork at Remake Learning Days!

Kindness pays off for four #kindkids at the elementary and primary schools!

Freshman Evelyn Mathie was honored at the Carnegie Science Center for earning her Girl Scout Silver Award with her project 'Advocating for Literacy and Supporting Wellness in Pittsburgh-area Children".
 

Congratulations to all of our students who were honored at the annual High School Award Ceremony on April 25th! 

View the award program.

Congratulations to the Honors Wind Ensemble for earning superior ratings in the PMEA Performance Assessment.

AHS Junior finishes in first place in the 2024 PA Scholar Ben Franklin Essay Competition and the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Essay Competition.

AHS students finished in the top three at the state final competition for the PA School Press Journalism competition.

Thanks to the generous support of the Avonworth Fund for Educational Excellence (AFEE), AHS art students recently had the opportunity to experience a Raku Firing Process through the Mobile Kiln program at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild.

Second graders participated in Junior Achievement Day with the help of Beattie Tech students.

The 6th Grade Band successfully earned the "Superior" rating at the 2024 Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association Music Performance Assessment, the highest possible rating in the competition.

Avonworth High School and Peter's Township High School ceramic students came together to experience a Raku Firing Process through the "Mobile Kiln" program at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild.

Avonworth High School seniors – Stuart McAdams, Ryan Hetcko, Brayden Simmons -- are headed to the Finance Nationals, which will be held in Cleveland in May! 

The team of students recently won the 2024 PA Personal Finance Competition held by the Foundation for Economic Education.

Congratulations and good luck to Stuart, Ryan and Brayden! 

Congratulations to Avonworth Middle School's Odyssey of the Mind team for earning a 2nd place finish at the PA State Competition and advancing to the World Finals at Iowa State University!

Thank you to Avonworth junior Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video. Click here to watch it. 

Choir student qualifies for PMEA All-State Chorus for second year in a row.

The Avonworth School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

Avonworth / Northgate Swim Team has an award winning performance at the PIAA 2A Championship.

APC's Odyssey of the Mind team had a great competition day on Saturday!

Thirty-six Avonworth students from grades K -  7 demonstrated their creative problem solving skills at the Western PA Odyssey of the Mind competition last Saturday at Keystone Oaks High School.

Congratulations to our 8th grade students on a fantastic night at the Heinz History Center!

Watch KDKA's coverage of the event. 

Our fourth graders are going back in time to learn about a major historical event.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette features Avonworth Girls Basketball and their historic quest for the WPIAL title.

Congratulations to Avonworth's Bocce Team for winning the gold medal at the Unified Bocce Regional Championships!

Sixteen Avonworth Middle and High School students traveled to the O'Reilly Theater in downtown Pittsburgh to participate in the preliminary round of the annual Pittsburgh Public Theater Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest.  

Three Avonworth Elementary School students recently participated in the PMEA District 1 Elementary Strings Festival. Congratulatiosn to Duvineel Cabrera, Sam Case and Maya Robertson!

Avonworth Middle School's own Kate Jeon will be guest conducting with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Learn more about our school counselor and her buddy

The Avonworth School District is excited to announce that we are the recipient of the 2023 Child Hunger Hero award from Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Ninth graders spent the day at the A.W. Beattie Career Center to explore the programs and learn about opportunities available to them.

Thank you to Avonworth juniors Marshall McCall and Jase Klatzkin for filming and producing this video about Avonworth Elementary School's Bridges program. Click here to watch the video. 

Avonworth junior honored at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast.  Her mother accepted the award on her behalf.

Students in Ms. Applegate's 7th-grade World Cultures class recently had the unique opportunity to delve into two traditional art forms to enhance their studies of ancient world history.

January is designated School Director Recognition Month to honor school board directors and their dedication to public education excellence.

In celebration of our school directors, Avonworth students donated books to the district’s school libraries at the January board meeting.

Avonworth Middle School has been re-designated for the fifth time as a Pennsylvania Association for Middle-Level Education Don Eichhorn Schools to Watch 2023-24. They are one of 11 in the state this year.

Avonworth students, staff and families gathered in December for a fun-filled evening celebrating Christmas Around the World! The event was a family friendly interactive opportunity to learn about our neighbors' Christmas celebrations and traditions through literature, art and music. 

The Avonworth School District is proud to be a part of the Western Pennsylvania Learning 2025 Alliance, a cohort of 34 public school districts, that advances student-centered, equity-focused, future-driven school systems that prepare every learner for tomorrow.

Co-led by Pittsburgh-area superintendents and AASA, the School Superintendents Association, the Alliance convenes for workshops and professional development facilitated by world-class experts. With support from The Grable Foundation, these 34 districts are reimagining education and showing the world what school could be.

Avonworth students are among students from seven local school districts, some with special needs, that took part in the second annual Unified Flag Football Day!

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette featured the special day. Read about it here.

The Red Cross Club visited the Primary Center to take part in a heartwarming holiday task.

The Avonworth School District is proud to be a part of the Western Pennsylvania Learning 2025 Alliance, a cohort of 34 public school districts, that advances student-centered, equity-focused, future-driven school systems that prepare every learner for tomorrow.

Fall Entrepreneur Night raises money for local charities.

Avonworth is one of the 12 area high schools that has been nominated for the Prime Stage Theatre’s 4th Annual High School Drama Awards!

Thank you to Avonworth junior Lucy Jacobs for filming and producing this video that features the artistic talents of our high school students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcOjHj8CQvE Click here to watch the video. 

Educators from around the world recently gathered in Finland for the HundrED Innovation Summit. With support from the Grable Foundation, Dr. Scott Miller, Primary Center Principal, was able to be a part of the summit to share APC's involvement in the Parents as Allies Pittsburgh Project.

Avonworth Primary Center was recently featured in Trib Total Media! What began as the #BeTheKindKid movement at APC is growing into a new initiative called Kindness in Action. 

Read more in the Trib. 

Avonworth's Parents as Allies program was recently featured in Kidsburgh.  Click here to read the story. 

State Representative Arvind Venkat honored the musical stage crew of Grand Hotel for winning Best Technical Execution by the Gene Kelly Awards for High School Musical Theater. Rep. Venkat visited the students on the set of the fall play and presented them with certificates from the State legislature in Harrisburg.

Bravo to all!

Congratulations to Avonworth's 6th grade math teacher Melissa Costantino-Poruben for being a 2022 Pennsylvania state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Thank you to Avonworth junior Lucy Jacobs for filming and producing this video about our art students' Little Amal field trip. Click here to watch the video. 

Ms. Soha Hindawy, an Avonworth teacher and parent, had the opportunity to participate in a Sustainability Planning workshop that was led by Dr. Eyal Bergman and Brandon Pinkney of Learning Heroes.

Read more about the workshop in Kidsburgh. 

Three talented students have successfully auditioned and earned a well-deserved spot in the prestigious PMEA Honors Band. Congratulations to Vanessa Amayo, Sydney Nelson, and Riley Adams.

Their dedication and hard work have truly paid off, and it is a remarkable achievement for them and our school.

We are excited to debut our Friday Night Lights video before our last home football game of the season! This short video highlights our talented football, cheer and band students, and celebrates the incredible atmosphere under those Avonworth Friday Night Lights. 

Childhood Education International recently featured the Avonworth Wisdom Corridor project.  

Click here to view the feature.

The Avonworth School District is proud to be named as an Outstanding Visual Arts Community by The Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA).

PAEA recognizes schools and districts across the state of Pennsylvania for their commitment to visual arts education opportunities for all students PK-12.

Kidsburgh, in collaboration with the ASSA Learning 2025 Alliance, celebrates the work of ground breaking school districts, like Avonworth, in the Pittsburgh region.

Avonworth High School is proud of the outstanding achievement of Jessie Reed, who has emerged as a shining star. Jessie has not only demonstrated exceptional talent but has also showcased the tremendous value we place on our music programs here at Avonworth.

Avonworth School District has again been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

Avonworth School District continues its mission to bring high-quality resources and education to families by hosting events for the Nation's biggest family-friendly festival of learning: Remake Learning Days Across America.

Keeping to the long-standing tradition of transparency, Dr. Jeff Hadley provided a mid-term update on the 2020-2025 Avonworth School District Strategic Plan.  

A unique new learning tool is a welcome addition to several Avonworth School District playgrounds. It’s called a communication board. These boards are adorned with colorful symbols or pictures to be used by children with limited expressive language ability.

Celebrations from England, Germany, Mexica, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Russia were featured as part of the festive and colorful "Hi Neighbor" event.

Avonworth High School's very own Lydija Amayo ignited excitement with her senior project, and the buzz rippled through the entire region!  Her passion project, aptly named "The Beautiful Gift," has not only captured hearts but has also earned her the prestigious title of a Kidsburgh Hero.

In partnership with Project FUEL and the Grable Foundation, Avonworth students and staff pave the way for other schools to participate in passing down generational knowledge.

Avonworth School District proudly celebrates a remarkable achievement as our students surpassed all expectations, securing an impressive 12th place worldwide in a highly competitive creative problem-solving competition.

Middle and high school students design interactive stations to help their community learn about other cultures.

Avonworth Primary Center's "Jammers"  are the recipient of the esteemed PSEA Human and Civil Rights Award that commends outstanding efforts in advancing civil liberties, equality, and human and civil rights within our schools and communities.

In a world where the name "Mister Rogers" may not ring as loudly as it once did, Avonworth School District brings together guest speakers representing the Fred Rogers Institute and Project FUEL.