Ambridge Area School District

We would like to communicate the following information via Guidance from the Ambridge Area Senior High School for the month of December 2018:

We would like to congratulate the student of the month and extra effort award winners for November 2018:

Student of the Month Winners: 9th grade: Elliot Powell 10th grade: Hunter Hogue 11th grade: Alyssa McCoy 12th grade: Lydia Ciani

Extra Effort Award Winners: 9th grade: Mikayla Cabaong 10th grade: Sarah Haymond 11th grade: Connor Dugan 12th grade: Ethan Young

Robert Morris University Signing Day: Thursday, November 29, 2018 – 8:00 AM: Any 12^th grade student applying for admissions Fall 2019: Students interested in applying to Robert Morris University have the opportunity to apply for an on-the-spot decision in the guidance office on Thursday, November 29, 2018. There will be no application fee for students applying, and acceptance letters will be granted on the spot for students with RMU admissions representative Amanda Beal. Students are encouraged to sign-up in guidance to come down and apply for admissions and acceptance for the Fall 2019.

Carlow University – December 4, 2018 7:30 – 8:05 AM in Guidance: Grades 9 -12: Carlow University representative Ashley Cassano will be here Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at AAHS from 7:30 – 8:02 AM in guidance for any interested senior. Students are encouraged to sign up at Mrs. Misencik desk in guidance if interested.

Laurel Technical Institute – December 13, 2018 – 1:54 – 2:26 PM in Guidance: Grades 9 -12: Laurel Technical Institute representative Michelle will be here Thursday, December 13, 2018 at AAHS from 1:54 – 2:26 PM in guidance for any interested students that are looking to go into a technical field. Technical field of studies can also be discussed at this time. Students are encouraged to sign-up at Mrs. Misencik desk in guidance if interested.

Duquesne University: Duquesne University is waiving the admission application fee for any senior enrolling for the fall 2019 if enrolled by December 15, 2018. Any interested senior is encouraged to apply to waive the admission fee at this time.

Penn State University: Students, if you are thinking about Penn State: Applications completed by November 30 will have the best chance of receiving admission to first-choice campus and major. Any questions, please call Penn State Beaver Justin Vorbach, Associate Director of Enrollment Management at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 724-773-3809 Admissions Office for questions in regards to applications.

Keystone Re-Test Exams: Literature, December 4, 2018 / Biology, December 11, 2018 / Algebra, January 15, 2018. Students that are required to test will be receiving letters specifying what exam and date for your student. Any student that was not proficient or advanced will be scheduled to re-take the keystone exams at the following times: ELA (Literature) December 4, 2018; Biology December 11, 2018 and Algebra, January 15, 2018. Make-ups for exams will be the following day. Please make every effort to ensure that your student is in attendance on these dates. Passing the keystones assists students receiving keystone rewards or being excused from completing remediation their senior year in the content area.

ACT – The Ambridge Area School District confirmed they will be offering the ACT here at AAHS during the school day on Tuesday, April 2^rd 2018 to all interested junior students. More information to follow in the upcoming months, but please mark your calendars for when this is exam will be offered here at the school district. Any questions, please contact guidance at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377.  

SAT –The Ambridge Area School District confirmed they will be offering the SAT here at AAHS on Saturday, March 9, 2018 to all interested students. Please mark your calendars. More information to follow in the upcoming months. Students must register for the exam at: www.collegeboard.org

PSAT/NMSQT – Students participated in the PSAT/NMSQT on October 10, 2018. Scores for the PSAT/NMSQT will be released December 10, 2018. Please have your student speak with their counselor for any questions for score reporting. Any questions, please contact guidance at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377.  

Senior Keystone Edgenuity Remediation: Letters were sent out October 1, 2018 for Seniors who were not proficient or advanced on the literature or algebra keystone exams. Seniors who received the letter are requested to complete 25 hours or 50% overall passing on remediation. Seniors required to complete edgenuity remediation for the keystones are required to be working on their specific subject area for completion by May 2019. Any questions, please contact guidance at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377.

Scholarship Information:  All scholarship information received through the AAHS Guidance department is posted to the website at the below link. Please be sure to check the website regularly for updates. 

http://ambridge.k12.pa.us/index.php/scholarship-applications/2018-2019

Scholarship Search: www.fastweb.com – Includes free scholarship search

Tutoring Information:  As a reminder, Peer Tutoring provided by NHS is offered every Wednesday in the media center from 2:30 – 3:30 PM.  In addition, students can arrange to stay after school with their teacher of record from 2:30 – 3:00 PM for additional help in each subject area.

SAT Prep Course Classes: Penn State Beaver January 19, 2019: PSU Beaver is offering an SAT Prep Course to help increase students access to and success in college and career, and the new redesigned SAT. Penn State Beaver SAT prep course can teach you the techniques and strategies to help you do your best on the exam. Courses start January 19, 2019 at PSU Beaver. For more information, please review: http://beaver.psu.edu/sat or call directly: : 724-773-3700

3RPREP Christmas Test Prep Crash Course: Sewickley Public Library: December 24, 26-29, 2018: The coming winter break is a great time for many students to brush up on the fundamentals of the SAT and/or ACT before taking the test in 2019. With this in mind, Sewickley Public Library is proud to partner again with 3RPrep to offer a five-session test prep course during the winter break. Christmas Test Prep Crash Course: December 24 & 26-29 / Time: 10 am – Noon. Space is limited and will run out, so students are advised to register ASAP, or if you have questions or concerns please reach out by calling 412.741.6920 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

3RPREP: Students are welcome to contact 3RPREP to discuss ACT / SAT tutoring in the Ambridge Community. Representatives can be contacted (412) 855-5535 or at 1400 Church St., Ambridge, PA 15003 to discuss assistance with SAT and ACT preparation. More information can be found on their website at: https://www.3rprep.com/

3RPREP ACT Practice: Please Mark Your Calendars: 3RPREP will be coming in to AAHS on Tuesday, March 26 and Thursday March 28, 2019 from 3-5 PM for ACT Prep Course. This is free to all AAHS students. Mrs. Schmidt will also be going into the Junior level classrooms to speak more about the exam to your student. More information can be found on their website at: https://www.3rprep.com/

Guidance Information: Counseling:

Western Pennsylvania Psychological Services: WPPC Counseling Services are offered via the positive steps program for any student interested in counseling services at Ambridge Senior High School. Students may enroll with parent/guardian permission for individual therapy during the course of the school day. Any questions of enrollment can be directed to Jennifer Cuspard at 724-266-2833, ext. 4274.

11-12^th Grade Counselor Long-Term Substitute: The School Counseling Department would like to welcome Alicia Schmidt, long-term school counselor substitute for grades 11-12^th. Please feel free to contact Alicia Schmidt with any questions regarding 11-12^th grade at 724-266-2833, ext. 2419 or via e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Prevention Network: The School Counseling Department would like to welcome Marissa Damon, Prevention Specialist to the district. The Prevention Specialist can assist with signing up your student for the Student Assistance Program, Peer relationships and academic monitoring. Please feel free to contact her with questions about the Student Assistance Program or academic concerns at 724-266-2833, ext. 2102 or via e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Community College of Beaver County Dual Enrollment Academies: The following academies are offered to Ambridge High School Juniors or seniors that meet the academic criteria for dual enrollment: Aviation Academy / Health Academy / STEM Academy / Criminal Justice Academy. Questions can also be directed to Joyce Cirelli, Dean of High School Academies and Dual Enrollment at 724-480-3474. Further information is listed at: http://pub.ccbc.edu/HS_Academy/index.html

BCCTC Field Trip –Any interested student that would like to learn more about the CTC and vocational training programs are encouraged to speak with their school counselor and pick up an application at this time. Further Information is listed at: https://www.bcctc.org/ If parents or guardians would like to arrange a tour to speak with a representative of the BCCTC, please contact the BCCTC at: 724-728-5800 Or e-mail: Liz Lanshcak at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Testing Information:

ACT - All 11^th grade students qualify to take this exam.

When: – April 2, 2019

Where: Ambridge Area High School – during the school day

Cost: $58 per student – The district will cover the cost of this exam

Sign up: Begin in February, more information to follow

SAT – Any interested student – recommended end of Junior and beginning of Senior Year

When: Saturday, March 2, 2019

Where: Ambridge Senior High School – Please arrive at 7:30 AM with identification information

Sign-up: www.collegeboard.org

The PSAT 8/9:  All 9^th grade students qualify to take the exams.

When: Spring 2019 - All 9^th grade students will be eligible to sign-up and take the exam in the spring 2019 of their ninth grade year.  Information will be sent out at that time.

Where: Ambridge Area High School (LGI) during the school day

Cost: $11 per student (Checks can be made to Ambridge Area School District)

The PSAT 10: All 10^th grade students qualify to take the exams.

When: Spring 2019 – All 10^th grade students will be eligible to take the exam in the spring 2019 of their tenth grade year. Information will be sent out at that time.

Where: Ambridge Area High School – Classrooms

Cost: $16 per student – The district will cover the cost of this exam

Sign-Ups:  All students will be directed to sign-up with Mrs. Misencik in guidance

The Pre-ACT: All 10^th Grade Students qualify to take the exams.

When: Spring 2019

Where: Ambridge Area High School LGI

Cost: $12 Per Student – Checks can be made available to the Ambridge Area School District

ASVAB: All 10-12^th grade students qualify to take the exams.  All 10^th grade students will be asked to sit for the exam for Career Exploration*.

When:  January 24, 2019 8:00 AM – All 10-12^th grade students will be eligible to take the exam in the spring of their 10-12^th grade year.

ASVAB Interpretation Date: February 27, 2019 – February 28, 2019 at AAHS – Discuss Test Scores and Career Results

Where: Ambridge Area High School LGI

Cost: Free to the student

Sign-Ups: All students will be directed to sign-up with Mrs. Misencik in guidance. All 10^th grade students will be enrolled for career exploration.

What is the ASVAB:  The ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude battery test that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success, as well as career measures and military career pathways.  Areas of testing include General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematic Knowledge, Electronic Information, Auto and Shop Information, and Mechanical Comprehension. All testing areas are listed at http://www.official-asvab.com/subtests_coun.htm.

Educational Outside Events for Parents/Guardians:

Rochester Area: Beaver County workshop for students 14-21 with transition challenges (a 504 plan or IEP, autism diagnosis, chronic illness, disability, emotional / learning support, medical issue, mental health diagnosis, etc.) together with their parents/families/supports.

“PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Services Overview"

When:   Thursday, November 29th, 2018 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Where: Hope Works-PA, LLC—205 Brighton Avenue, Rochester, PA

•The PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, provides vocational rehabilitation services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment.

•OVR provides services to eligible individuals with disabilities, both directly and through a network of approved vendors.

•Services are provided on an individualized basis.

•Drue Flora, an OVR Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor, will discuss the wide range of OVR services potentially available to eligible applicants

Complimentary pizza provided. Child care available.   Please RSVP if possible to 724-841-9711 or via Facebook; walk-ins welcome!

Websites for College and Career Readiness:

www.onetonline.org – Links to My Next Move and Bright Outlook Occupations: Targets careers where new job opportunities should be in the future. In addition, browse by industry searches within the O*Net site to reflect more current employment.

www.myfuture.com – College and Career Information

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org - College Board College and Career Search

https://www.pacareercoach.org – Designed to help participants find a good career and exploration

www.careertech.org – Nationwide, Career Technical Education Programs

www.getfocuedstayfocused.org – Videos on the workforce and post-secondary planning

www.myplan.com – Find and explore your Major and Minor in College

www.educationplanner.org – Free website from PHEAA. Outstanding PA site for college and career information.

www.mymajors.com – Major exploration website for colleges/universities

www.fasfa.gov – Free Application for Federal Student Aid

www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov – General Financial Aid Information

www.youcandealwithit.com – How to plan and pay back your student loan / budgeting and saving tips for college.

Xello – Career Cruising: K-12 Development site via AAHS: All students will also be connected with a xello account via Ambridge Area School District in their social studies classrooms.

Thank you, and have a wonderful December from all of us at Ambridge Area School District!

AAHS School Counseling Department

KDKA Drug Symposium and Summit 2018: On November 14, 2018, eleven Ambridge Senior High school students joined in the fight against Opioid Abuse and Drug Addiction at the High School Coalition via KDKA programming to discuss healthy choices in and out of the community. Students had the opportunity to share their input and provide valuable information on the fight against drug use and how it impacts their generation academically, socially and emotionally. Experts from the Pittsburgh Drug and Coalition task force to UPMC doctors and Addiction Specialists spoke with students on how to continue to support healthy choices and their peers in and out of the classroom. Any student that has drug/alcohol concerns are encouraged to reach out to their counselor in guidance to be provided with the necessary supports for all levels. Any questions may be directed to guidance at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377.

Community College of Beaver County Dual Enrollment Academies:  On Friday, October 19, 2018 the Ambridge Area School District offered the opportunity for any interested high school student to tour the dual enrollment academies offered at the Community College of Beaver County during a student’s high school years. The following academies are offered to Ambridge High School Juniors or Seniors that meet the academic criteria for dual enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year in partnership with CCBC:  Aviation Academy / Health Academy / STEM Academy / Criminal Justice Academy and the up-and-coming Construction Academy.

During their visit, students were granted access to the professors and staff to learn about each academic program and gain hands on experience at the collegiate level of what all the curriculum entails.  Students were also provided the opportunity to explore real-world situations and problem solving in each of the academies specific areas. 

On Tuesday November 27, 2018, twenty students from the AP Biology classes and Science Club at Ambridge Area High School attended a local genetics conference at North Allegheny Senior High School with Mr. Eric Harbison, AP Biology Teacher and Science Club Sponsor.

The Genetics Update Conference is held yearly by Sam Rhine. Sam Rhine is a medical geneticist and received his education from Indiana University in Indiana, as well as spending some time at Harvard Medical School. His conferences provide updates on the newest discoveries in genetics and medicine. Some highlights include the discovery of DNA segments that are correlated to common diseases and traits, the ability to use pig organs for transplants into humans to eliminate the waiting list predicament, and the ability to use a medical process known as CRISPR to perform genome editing to remove detrimental mutations from a person’s DNA. With the discovery of the DNA segments that are common in everyday diseases and traits, CRISPR can be used to edit those sequences with the hopes of one day curing ailments such as Autism, Schizophrenia, Type 2 Diabetes, and many more.

The biggest discovery Mr. Rhine shared with our students is that scientists have successfully used CRISPR to remove a harmful mutation from a developing embryo. This success was confirmed and published, as the embryo developed into a perfectly healthy baby that was born ONE DAY before our students attended the conference. It certainly is an exciting time in the world of Science!

Student of the Month (November)

9^th grade (Elliot Powell-2nd Picture); 10^th grade (Hunter Hogue); 11^th grade  (Alyssa McCoy); 12^th grade (Lydia Ciani)

Extra Effort Award Winners (November):

9^th grade (Mikayla Cabaong); 10^th grade (Sarah Haymond-2nd Picture); 11^th grade (Connor Dugan); 12^th grade (Ethan Young)

Ambridge Area High School will send two students to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association’s District 5 Honors Band and Honors Chorus this month.

Kamryn Rudolph was selected by audition to participate in PMEA District 5 Honors Chorus held at Westminster College on November 1-3. Guest Conducting at the festival was Dr. Christopher Kiver, music professor and choral director at the Pennsylvania State University. Marjorie Jarsulic was selected by audition to participate in PMEA district 5 Honors Band to be held at Westminster College November 29-December 1. The guest conductor for this ensemble will be Mr. Patrick Burns, adjunct professor of music at Montclair State University.

PMEA District 5 is comprised of school districts from Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties.  Students are selected to the Honors Band and Chorus based on their scores in a live audition, performing a prepared solo piece selected by PMEA.

Ryan Racioppo and his twin sister, Haley take part in the Westinghouse educational program on Saturdays that are offered here in the Pittsburgh area.  Both also participate in the NMSI AP program in the AASD. 

Ryan was so impressed and engaged with one of the recent Westinghouse presenters he took the initiative to approach him to learn more about his area of specialization. Dr. L. Alberto Cangahuala is the Europa Clipper Mission System Manager with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.  The laboratory works in affiliation with NASA on space exploration missions and projects.

Dr. Cangahuala was so impressed during his interactions with Ryan that he offered to visit his school.  Ryan, along with his Physics teacher Mr. Paul Hladio, corresponding with Dr. Cangahuala, collaborated with AAHS  administration to have the distinguished professional visit Ambridge Area School District November 10, 2018. Dr. Cangahuala's afternoon visit included an awe-inspiring presentation on the Europa Project.   It was truly an event filled with insight and details on how this project will be executed by 2030, including the rational for selecting the Europa moon of Jupiter for exploration, what and how exploration data will be selected to make the trip, why the team believed water exist on the moon and insight how the professional from Baldwin Wallace went on to attend MIT to lead the team for JPL.   We only regret that we actually ran out of time at the end of the school day.

Dr. Cangahuala’s family still resides in the Western PA area and he has agreed to visit AAHS again in the future. We look forward to the time that visit can be realized.

The following was Dr. Cangahuala’s note to Ryan Racioppo as a follow up to his time at AAHS:

“Thanks to you and the staff for making yesterday’s meeting possible, and for the pictures.  You showed great initiative in reaching out in the first place; whileI hope I helped with your queries, I must thank you, Mr. Booher, and your classmates for your contagious enthusiasm.  I look forward to keeping in touch; in the mean time I wish you, your class and faculty all the best in your studies in the year ahead.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 24, a group of students from the Senior High traveled to the Pittsburgh Zoo. A heartfelt thank you to the Job Training Center for Beaver County for providing students the opportunity to have an exciting, educational, fun-filled day!