Sto-Rox School Board met twice during the month of January and made several key decisions, including the establishment of Asia Davis as Principal of Sto-Rox Jr./Sr. High School, recognizing School Board Members, and much more. A video archive of both meetings can be found on the district’s YouTube Channel. Video links and other meeting information are also available in the School Board section of the district website.
Thursday, January 23 Meeting
• Agenda (PDF)
• Video Link
Davis (left) and Herzing (right) speak to the board.
Students of the Month
Jr./Sr. High School Principal Asia Davis and School Counselor Joe Herzing appeared before the board to honor students for their hard work during the first half of the school year.
“We’re selecting a student for each grade, 7 to 12, each month,” said Herzing. “They’ll have their picture hung in the hallway, so their classmates can see them.” Honorees also receive a certificate and get to have lunch with Acting Superintendent Ron Sofo.
DOWNLOAD: Sto-Rox Students of the Month (through December (PDF)
“(Those lunches) are very good for the students and good for the superintendent too, I think, to get some insight from our students,” said Herzing. Honorees are voted on by teachers and staff, including principals, secretaries, custodians, and others. Key areas where students are evaluated for recognition include academics, character, behavior, social relationships, attendance, good citizenship, community development, and personal development.
“It’s not so much about the year to year growth and evolution of our people, but even month to month,” said Davis. “To meet these students in September and see them now, it’s just refreshing to see who they are becoming.” Going forward, honorees will be recognized monthly at school board meetings.
“I want to take the time to shoutout Mr. Herzing and Ms. (Nicole) Reed (School Counselor) because this was their idea, and they are holding strong to it,” added Davis.
School Board Recognition
“Parents are probably the longest-lasting lifetime job. And then there's the school board,” said Dr. Ron Sofo, Acting Superintendent. “It’s a volunteer job for citizens who love their schools, that’s unpaid, and takes a lot of time.” Dr. Sofo praised school board members for their commitment to this position, giving up free time to help make key decisions about Sto-Rox schools.
“You are both representing the school district but you are also the ears and eyes (of the district), and you receive a lot of feedback,” he said. “That takes time, and sometimes that is work you didn’t sign up for. So we appreciate your service…we really appreciate what you’re giving from your heart.”
Board members also received certificates of appreciation as part of National School Board Recognition Month, which occurs each January. This follows comments by Dr. Sofo at the previous week’s board meeting commending board members for their work.
Viking P.R.I.D.E. in School Performance Awards
“Viking Pride is something that is real here in Sto-Rox,” said Michael Hauser, Special Assistant to the Superintendent and brainchild of P.R.I.D.E. “We see it in what our kids do.” P.R.I.D.E. stands for People Rising In Determined Effort, explained Hauser. “Isn’t that what we want our students to do.”
DOWNLOAD: P.R.I.D.E. Flyer (PDF)
P.R.I.D.E. is a performance awards program that will go into effect later this school year, thanks in part to a $5,000 donation from Hauser. All told, about $10,000 has been raised through the community to incentivize students to make eight standards:
• Academics
• Attendance
• Conduct
• School Engagement
• Community Engagement
• Personal Development
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Financial Literacy
Hauser discussed the importance of these pillars of PRIDE. Regarding School Engagement: “The model I used when I was principal at Moon was, ‘Don’t hate, participate.’ When you participate, you automatically have things to do with your teachers and fellow students.”
On Community Engagement: “Even if I go next door and sweep my neighbor’s sidewalk…wouldn’t it be great if kids found ways to volunteer in their communities,” said Hauser, “making their communities places where people were happy to see them, where they felt like they were welcomed.” Hauser said local businesses and families will be urged to help foster community engagement by students.
On Personal Development: “We often don’t think of personal development until people are in their thirties or forties,” said Hauser. “My goodness, that’s way too late. Hauser wants students to find ways to enrich themselves now - in their teenage years - so that they can have a fuller and more meaningful life.
P.R.I.D.E. will be rolled out as a team-based program. Every student in grades 9-12 will become a member of one of 20 teams, each approximately 14-17 team members and two teacher advisors. Teams with the highest average scores will win cash prizes ranging from $500 to $5,000, with faculty advisors and senior team captains advising teams on how to share their awards. There will also be non-monetary team challenges and awards each month.
A “draft” to establish the teams has also been discussed, with local philanthropist Roberto Clemente Jr. in discussions to take part in the process. School Board President Cameron Culliver praised Hauser for his dedication in this effort, as P.R.I.D.E. has been in the works for months. Additionally, Board Member Kim Spriggs expressed an interest in honoring donors who are helping to get this program off the ground, along with staff members who are making an extra effort to support P.R.I.D.E.
Davis smiles as she addresses the board.
Davis Officially Named Jr./Sr. High School Principal
“I am overwhelmed with purpose and joy and it feels so right, and right on time,” said Davis. “It’s been a journey…it’s been empowering when individuals are recognized and are part of a greater good.”
Davis was named Acting Principal in November. Prior to that, she had been Assistant Principal for Grades 10-12 since August of 2023. Davis worked alongside Hope Schreiber, who had served as Assistant Principal for Grades 7-9 and now serves all grades as Jr./Sr. High School Assistant Principal. Davis said she was “extremely grateful” for this opportunity and praised Schreiber, Hauser, Board President Culliver, and the building staff - not to mention her mom - for supporting her.
“I’m looking forward to this work and this journey” she said. “Thank you.”
Culliver returned the praise for Davis, saying, ”you stepped up, and your leadership is influential everywhere. You can see it, you can feel it. It really is a big deal when you walk into this building and watch them feel happy, and feel loved.” He also admired her enthusiasm for leading students and her influence on building leadership, a comment that drew additional compliments from Board members Spriggs and Cooper.
“No matter what, keep your head up,” said Cooper. “Keep doing what you do, because you’re good at what you do.”
While this is Davis’ first principal post, she is a career educator spending more than six years as an English teacher in Pittsburgh Public Schools. She also obtained her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Before that, she started her career as an advocate at the Northside Coalition for Fair Housing.
Donations
The board reviewed and accpeted the following DonorsChoose projects:
Samantha Harrison- Classroom Project: “Build My Sensory Room”
Carolyn Smith- Classroom Project: “Success for Steam”
Julie Wood- Classroom Project: “Classroom Essentials”
Tim Athanas- Classroom Project: “Full Bellies for Jobs Well Done”
Documentary Screening (CORRECTION: Date is 2/7/25)
SAVE Leadership at the Jr./Sr. High School is organizing an event for 9th-12th graders titled “Eradicating Hate in our Community and How Communities Come Together,” on Friday, February 7 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium and Cafeteria. The event will include a 5 p.m. screening of the documentary “Repairing the World: Stories for the Tree of Life.” The documentary was screened at the second annual Eradicate Hate Student Summit in October of 2024, an event that Sto-Rox students took part in. There will be a dinner and discussion following the documentary screening. Attendees are asked to RSVP by Wednesday, February 5 at this link.
RELATED: Sto-Rox Attends Eradicate Hate Student Summit
Looking Ahead
The next meeting of the Sto-Rox School Board of Directors will be an Agenda Review meeting held Thursday, February 13. That meeting will be followed by the Regular Legislative voting meeting on Thursday, February 20. Both meetings will take place at 7 p.m. in the Sto-Rox Jr./Sr. High School Cafeteria. Of special interest is the March Agenda Review meeting that will take place at Parkway West Career & Technology Center on Thursday, March 20 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 16 Meeting
• Agenda (PDF)
• Video Link
The Sto-Rox School Board of Directors held its Agenda Review meeting for January virtually on Thursday, January 16, due to wintry weather.
New Hire
Nate Brown was introduced as a Substitute Teacher for the Jr./Sr. High School. A father, pastor, and non-profit executive, Brown has been involved in education and the nonprofit sector for 20 years. “Falling in love with the opportunity to be impactful with young people is something that has always been a passion (for me),” said Brown. “When I heard this opportunity come up it was just something i wanted to jump on.” Brown said the district’s transition played a role in his decision, saying, “in that transition I saw growth. And I saw this newness that was happening. I want to be a part of being impactful.”
Donations
The district reviewed the following DonorsChoose projects and accepted them during the Thursday, January 23 meeting:
Jenay Speer: Classroom Project- “Classroom Essentials”
Samantha Borgoyne: Classroom Project- “Special Education needs Special Love and Care”
Chelsey Krull: Classroom Project- “Warm From the Tip of our Heads to our Toes!”
Brianna Frashure: Classroom Project-”Sensory Items for All”
Jennifer Koerbel: Classroom Project- ”It’s a Great Day to Be a Viking!”
Ashley Dickinson: Classroom Project- “Fueling Young Minds: Snacks for Focused Learning”
Julie Wood: Classroom Project- “Exploring Literacy Through Art”
Alexis Zohghetti: Classroom Project-”Quiet Please!”
The district also discussed the donation of 300 child-sized coats to children at the Primary Center from Operation Warm. Dr. Lisa Mumau, Primary Center Principal, saluted School Counselor Joanne Onyshko for helping get the coats delivered. She also urged people who may need a child’s winter coat to reach out to the Primary Center. The donation of these coats was accepted at the January 23 meeting.
MAP Testing
District leaders were excited about the results of MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments taken earlier in January. On January 7 and January 8, students took the mid-year assessments to measure their growth in areas such as reading, math, and language usage. The results of these assessments help teachers and staff tailor instruction to students’ individual needs.
“The testing is coming back with some very positive results,” said Dr. Sofo. “This is really good news. It’s about growth first. If we can help students grow, the achievement will come.” Both Dr. Mumau and Schreiber were pleased with the progress being made in their respective buildings. As of January 16th, 90% of students had been tested, compared to 40% the year before.
“Our students are very focused, our students are working together as a team,” said Mumau.
Schreiber said the Jr./Sr. High School staff incentivized student participation by incorporating it into R.A.I.S.E., the school’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program. High school students’ goals included arriving on time for their testing and creating a positive learning environment that benefits all students.
RELATED: Sto-Rox Jr./Sr. High School Prepares for MAP Assessments
“We tested students the same day at the same time,” said Schreiber. “We shut down the building from periods one through four.” Schreiber explained that because teachers can monitor the tests digitally as students take them on iPads, they can pause the test for a student who they think is rushing or having trouble. “It’s a great opportunity for the teacher to have a conversation with a student to get them on track,” she added.
“I want to make sure everyone knows that our principals did an outstanding job,” said Hauser, pointing to the positive results already coming in - with nearly half of students showing growth.