In the photo from NASH: Senior Haresh Muralidharan (captain) and juniors Andrew Feng, Jason Liu, Leonardo Yu, and Audrey Zheng. In the photo from MMS: Eden Wu, Kendrick Hsu, Nabeel Abdulmajeed, Emma Li, and John Xie.

Three students from North Allegheny successfully auditioned into the NAfME All-Eastern Division honors ensembles in Hartford, Connecticut. Junior Casey Richey joined the All-Eastern Honors Treble Choir, junior Karin Hoppo was selected for the All-Eastern Division Honors Orchestra, and senior Adam Briggs earned a spot in the All-Eastern Division Honors Band. They auditioned against hundreds of students from Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. The ensembles were led by some of the finest music educators in the world.

Eighth-grade orchestra students Manny Yu (IMS—violin), Milana Mishkov (CMS—violin), and Olivia Leasure (MMS—cello) participated in the PMEA District One's Junior High Orchestra Festival this weekend at Gateway High School. They practiced and performed alongside over 100 other musicians from the Western PA region under the direction of Patrick Forsyth from Seton Hill University.

• Bryan Donaldson—Automotive Collision Technology
• Adler Hicks —Automotive Technology
• Lucas Young—Automotive Technology
• Kyle Langdon—Carpentry/Building Construction
• Charles Wetmore—Carpentry/Building Construction
• Penelope Malis—Cosmetology (not pictured)
• Noah Ellis—Culinary
• Cassidy Grottenthaler—Early Childhood Education
• Quintin Gralia—HVAC
• Yashaswini Indugula—Surgical Sciences Technology
• Alaina Schnepp—Veterinary Sciences
• Maureah Kosanovich—Veterinary Services

Mrs. Beth Leckey, a music teacher at Ingomar Elementary, has a deep passion for music and literature, which she enjoys sharing with her students. Recognizing the natural synergy between these two art forms, she orchestrated a unique approach that beautifully blends them together. 

During the month of March, IES celebrates Music In Our Schools Month, which also coincides with Read Across America Week. Mrs. Leckey found this to be the perfect opportunity to highlight the connection between music and literacy.

"I decided to give each class their own book that they would be responsible for composing, arranging, and performing," said Leckey. "As we started to get into the project, I realized there was a great deal of potential to dig deeper and challenge my students' musicianship."

After selecting a book, students chose instruments that best complemented their stories and learned to play them. Gradually, they began creating musical pieces for each page of the book. The project took six weeks to complete.

"My goal was to simulate learning to read music through relatable literature," said Leckey. "I have a true passion for teaching children that their greatest potentials come from working together and from allowing themselves to be an active participant. Every class did a fantastic job learning how to work as a team."

With the music classes fine-tuning their storybook performances, Mrs. Leckey devised a way for them to share their creations with a live listening audience. Throughout April, she invites anyone at IES to attend a musical performance through an "in-school" Musical Story Field Trip. Teachers and staff can sign up to listen to 16 stories at times that best fit their schedules.

"We all love having others share our music," said Leckey. "I hope this project enriched (my students') love of reading and built their confidence in music literacy and technique. By the smiles on their faces, I think we achieved our goal." 

Mrs. Leckey's music students will share their stories two to three times throughout the month with different groups of students and staff members.

The North Allegheny Communication Department had the pleasure of stopping by Mrs. Leckey's class to observe students from 5C bring their chosen story to life for a group of kindergarten students. To watch that performance, click here. For a photo gallery, click here.

This year, more than 20 ninth and 10th graders from North Allegheny Intermediate distinguished themselves on the 2025 National Latin Exam.

Seven A.W. Beattie students from North Allegheny won medals at the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania championships, with five earning gold.

• Lauren Helkowski (Food Art)
• Andrew Mura (Menu Planning)
• Noah Ellis (PA Knife Skills)

The 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is a regional and national competition awarding students’ artwork and writing that exemplifies originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal vision/voice. Founded in 1923, it is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition for creative teens.

2025 SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

North Allegheny students earned an outstanding regional 23 Gold Key, 18 Silver Key, and 29 Honorable Mention Scholastic Art Awards. They were celebrated at the regional art exhibition and ceremony held at Carnegie Mellon University on March 9. Impressively, Iris Huang received an American Visions nomination; only a select five in the region are nominated for consideration of this scholarship, placing her in the running for the national scholarship award. All regional Gold Key recipients automatically move on to the national level of competition, where they are considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and a variety of scholarship awards.

A special congratulations to Iris Huang on winning a national Gold Medal and a 2025 American Visions Medal in the Scholastic Art Awards. The American Visions Medal is an honorable art scholarship awarded to one nominated student for each region. A North Allegheny student has been awarded this scholarship back to back, previously winning in 2024. Iris Huang’s winning artwork, titled “Be A Chair,” illustrates the relationship between a human and artificial objects, specifically a chair. This series of twelve charcoal drawings progresses chronologically and explores the expansion of the traditional role of the "chair" and how humans can redefine its shape, form, and meaning. Each study was drawn from direct observation of a live model, capturing the development between the subject and object in real time.

NATIONAL MEDAL ART AWARDS

Gold Medal

Iris Huang, Grade 12 (1 Gold Medal), (American Visions Medal)

Silver Medal

David Mao, Grade 10 (1 Silver Medal)
Casey Yang, Grade 10 (1 Silver Medal)

REGIONAL GOLD KEY ART AWARDS

Gold Key Award

Iris Huang, Grade 12 (5 Gold Key), (American Visions Nomination)
Talia Jun, Grade 12 (1 Gold Key)
Muriel Liu, Grade 10 (3 Gold Key)
David Mao, Grade 10 (2 Gold Key)
Sidney Rice, Grade 10 (3 Gold Key)
Casey Richey, Grade 11 (2 Gold Key)
Ashley Shim, Grade 11 (2 Gold Key)
Shareen Tarigonda, Grade 11 (1 Gold Key)
Hailey Thiel, Grade 12 (1 Gold Key)
Casey Yang, Grade 10 (2 Gold Key)
Rebecca Zhao, Grade 11 (1 Gold Key)

2025 SCHOLASTIC WRITING AWARDS

North Allegheny students also achieved remarkable success in the Scholastic Writing Awards regional with eight Gold Key, 10 Silver Key, and 15 Honorable Mention awards. They were honored at a ceremony held at Point Park University on Saturday, March 22. All regional Gold Key recipients automatically move on to the national level of competition, where they are considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and a variety of scholarship awards. 

Special congratulations go to James Xiao and Dariana Chiosea for winning national Gold Medals this year. In addition, James Xiao won an American Voices Medal for his piece titled “Filial Piety.” The American Voices Medal is a prestigious scholarship awarded to one nominated student from each region.

Congratulations to all student participants and awardees, who continue to represent North Allegheny for its excellence in the arts and writing. Their hard work, dedication, and exceptional talents make our North Allegheny community proud!

NATIONAL MEDAL WRITING AWARDS

Gold Medal 

James Xiao, Grade 11 (1 Gold Medal), (American Voices Medal)
Dariana Chiosea, Grade 9 (1 Gold Medal)

REGIONAL GOLD KEY WRITING AWARDS

Gold Key Award

Dariana Chiosea, Grade 9 (1 Gold Key)
Ashnavi Gosh, Grade 12 (1 Gold Key)
Linda Kong, Grade 12 (2 Gold Key)
Lily Saltmar, Grade 11 (1 Gold Key)
Ashley Shim, Grade 11 (1 Gold Key)
Cami Weinbaum, Grade 9 (1 Gold Key)
James Xiao, Grade 11 (1 Gold Key), (American Voices Nomination)