The Sto-Rox School Board of Directors met on Thursday evening to close out its business for the month of September. Among the highlights were the hiring of a new Athletic Director and a new Director of School Safety and Security, along with the appointment of a new board member. Read on for details on all of the items discussed at the September school board meetings.
September 26 Meeting
Student Representative’s Report
Reign Boxley had a back-to-school theme to her report for the board. The pep rally on the first day of school for the Jr./Sr. High School students was a special moment for Boxley and her classmates.
Boxley speaks to the board.
“It felt good to see the support,” said Boxley.
Boxley also spoke about the ALICE drill held on Tuesday, September 17 in each of the district’s three schools, including the tactics students would use to protect themselves in an active shooter situation.
One of the proudest announcements for Boxley was the student council elections held in the Jr./Sr. High School earlier in September. Students elected a full complement of officers plus four representatives for each grade. “These new roles have come with new responsibilities and expectations, and the officers are proudly standing up,” said Boxley.
President - Cici Mason
Vice President - Eve Barrow
Secretary - Jaliya Kerney
Treasurer - David Somerville
12th Grade Reps - Kyrai Adams, Javyiah Macon, Indrid Plata, Shaiky Yates
11th Grade Reps - Serenity West, Christian Fuller, Eric Richardson, Sean Barrow
10th Grade Reps - Karma Boxley, Viyhsaela Macon, Aaliyah Greer, Egypt Drummond
9th Grade Reps - Karic Willis, Alaijah Crawley, Louis Neth, Naishawn Hines
Boxley also reported that the Sto-Rox National Honor Society also has a new set of officers, including Boxley as President, Jaliya Kerney as Vice President, Eric Lukaswewicz as Secretary, and Eric Richardson as Treasurer. Boxley touched on RAISE drawings, where students receive tickets - based on incentives for positive behavior under the RAISE acronym: Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Equitable. Finally, Boxley mentioned Friday’s vote for Homecoming Queen and King, the Homecoming Parade and Football Game vs. Charleroi, and the Homecoming Dance on Saturday at Rockefeller’s Grille.
New Athletic Director
Shomari Phelps may have only recently moved to Western Pennsylvania, but he has already found a home in Sto-Rox.
Phelps speaks to the board.
“I’ve just got a passion for sports and the development of youth,” said Phelps, a substitute teacher and assistant football coach. “Just passionate about the youth, just passionate about the community, it doesn’t matter what community it is, but I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll give everything to it.”
Originally from Sarasota, Florida, Phelps moved to the area in June. For 16 years he has been involved in athletics, coaching baseball, basketball and football at the youth level, along with college football at Lake Erie College. Most previously worked at IMG Academy, a boarding school and sports education brand headquartered in Bradenton, Florida. But how did he end up in Sto-Rox?
“It chose me. Moving up here, I put my resume out there and applied for different jobs,” said Phelps. “I think everything happens for a reason.”
Phelps is looking to make his mark as an athletic director and grow the Sto-Rox Athletics program.
“I think one of my strongest skills is communication,” said Phelps. “Outreach and building bridges, I think that’s where I excel. Just meeting people and reaching out to coaches, fellow AD’s. I do know a few people on the coaching staff who I can help.”
He also paid respect to outgoing Athletic Director Ron Butschle, who welcomed him to the Sto-Rox fold as he applied for a football coaching job.
“I’m confident because I’ve done all the legwork, so to speak, leading up to doing this job,” said Phelps. “I’m sure there will be pitfalls, but I’m going to have to reach out to people, but I’m confident I can step into the role and be successful.”
New Board Member
Angel Myers will fill the Region 1 (McKees Rocks) School Board vacancy until the next applicable general election. Myers, who interviewed for the post in August, will be the sixth member of the board. Three vacancies remain, so if you are interested in serving on the Sto-Rox School Board of Directors, check out the School Board page on the district’s website.
Teamwork Makes the (Math) Work
Superintendent Megan Van Fossan saluted teachers and the Sto-Rox Education Association for their cooperation with an MOU (memorandum of understanding) for high school math teachers to teach 35 periods a week for this school year.
“Classes were going to have a (substitute teacher) who wasn’t certified,” said Van Fossan, “but they figured out a way to solve the problem.”
“They sat in my office and made calls and text messages to teachers, and before they left my office the whole schedule was done with the exception of one period - and one teacher took two classes. All of those teachers that are teaching an extra period of math, that makes for an awfully long day,” said Van Fossan, who commended the teachers for their “fabulous” cooperation.
September 17 Meeting
Boys and Girls Club Teen Outreach
Marissa Redding, manager of Healthy Lifestyles with the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, spoke to the board about the organization’s Teen Outreach Program. This is the fifth year for the program in Sto-Rox. The program also works in several other Allegheny County communities and is expanding to Aliquippa and the Laurel Highlands. The program is based on social-emotional learning lessons and community service projects, said Redding.
Past service projects included putting together hygiene packets for local shelters, planting greenery to boost mental health, making animal toys from recycled shirts for local shelters, and making friendship bracelets for patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. It adds up: last year, middle schoolers averaged 15 hours while high schoolers averaged 8.
The Teen Outreach program will work with Dawn Marshall’s Personal Finance and the 7th Grade Computer Skills classes and will hear from community figures like former Pitt football players and a local nurse. The combined messages of service and education are helping Sto-Rox teens excel, said Redding.
Connors passes out fruits and vegetables to board members and staff.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Janet Connors, the district’s Food Service Director, spoke to the board about her role and the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program. Previously, Connors had been in charge of more than a dozen accounts for Nutrition Inc., but as her career winds down, she really only wanted one account: Sto-Rox. Connors passed out healthy treats to board members, examples of less common fruits and vegetables that students will get to experience three times per week.
Director of School Safety and Security
It was a Sto-Rox graduate who turned Michael Pietragallo, the district’s soon-to-be Director of School Safety and Security, on to the job.
Pietragallo spoke to the board about the role ahead of his hiring on September 26 and lauded Roger Rees (Sto-Rox Class of ‘84), Am-Gard’s Director of Business and Administrative Operations, for cluing him in.
Pietragallo speaks to the board.
“We keep in touch, we’ve crossed paths several times over the years, and a few weeks ago he texted me,” said Pietragallo. “I’ve always found myself in a position where there’s a need for me. If you don’t do that, if you’re not needed, then it’s just a job. These students, they deserve a lot more than somebody who just needs a job.”
Pietragallo is a Bloomfield native who went to the University of Pittsburgh to study Psychology. He served in the Navy, and couldn’t stay away from government work. After the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001, he went overseas, serving in Israel, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Following that, Pietragallo was Director of Safety and Security at Allegheny Health Network - where he crossed paths with Rees and teamed up with Am-Gard - and followed up that role by becoming Safety and Security Coordinator for the Woodland Hills School District.
“I’m very big on training,” said Pietragallo. “If you’re diligent in your training, if you practice hard, then the game is easy. I think what that does is it helps the students, the staff, and the faculty to understand it because they become a part of that training.” Pietragallo said training reduces panic and helps students and staff understand what they need to do in a crisis. He also took note of the current strong relationship between Sto-Rox School District and local law enforcement, noting that it will be critical to maintain.
Pietragallo is also a business owner, having started Crossfit Pittsburgh in 2006 and Paladin Tactical Shooting Solutions six years later. When Pietragallo came to Sto-Rox for his interview, he was impressed by the Jr./Sr. High School and the people inside it.
“Every student that I encountered, they were pleasant,” said Pietragallo. “I think if you can foster a community like that, I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Roof Repairs
The district accepted the Public School Environmental Repairs Grant from the Pa. Dept. of Education for $711,303 to help cover the cost of roof repairs at the Upper Elementary and the Primary Center. Those repairs were made over the summer and just recently wrapped up.
Security Cameras
The district approved a quote for $2,200.00 from Communication Consulting, Inc. for the installation of four additional security cameras (three at the high School and one at the Primary). This follows a bevy of cameras and a surveillance system installed in the district this year.
Donations
The district accepted the following DonorsChoose projects:
• Sherri Koger - Classroom Project: “Classroom Essentials”
• Heather O’Hara- Classroom Project: “Classroom Essentials”
• Richelle Tropeck- Classroom Project: “PBIS in Action”
• Katharine Wanninger- Classroom Project:”Classroom Refresh”
The district accepted a donation of school supplies for the Primary Center from The Foundation of Hope, including book bags, paper, pencils, pen, and markers; a donation from Robert Zedreck, Vice President of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services LLC. for School Supplies at the Jr./Sr. High School; and a donation of $200.00 for the Athletics Dept. from April Martin in Memory of Jordan Martin
Purchases
Following the adoption of the dress code by the board in June, the district approved the purchase of $10,000 worth of clothes to stock the Viking’s Den - the Jr./Sr. High School’s resource room - with clothes that meet the policy.
Girl Scouts
Girl Scout Troop 46789 will hold its meetings at the Primary Center during the 2024-2025 school year; the request came from Sto-Rox teacher Ashley Dickinson. The district has welcomed the Girl Scouts as they work to make inroads in the district this fall.
Looking Ahead
The district’s next meeting will be in the community on Thursday, October 17 at Meyers Ridge Community Center, 901 Gray St., McKees Rocks, PA 15136. Meetings will return to the Sto-Rox Jr./Sr. High School Cafeteria on Thursday, October 24. All meetings are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.