- Keystone Oaks junior Kira Voichenko wins statewide Pre-Apprentice Achievement Award 👏🏻
- Keystone Oaks Middle & High School Robotics Teams compete at the Western PA Championships 🤖
- New “Passing the Torch” podcast series builds connections through anonymous conversations 🎤
- Elementary Schools Renovation Project: Board of School Directors takes steps to borrow funds for the first two phases of the project 🏫
- Four Odyssey of the Mind teams advance to the PA State Finals 🎉
- Tickets for Keystone Oaks High School’s 2026 musical are on sale now 🎫
- Celebrating Success: Recognizing end-of-season accomplishments for Keystone Oaks' winter sports teams and athletes 🦅
- Highlighting Excellence: Celebrating recent student successes ⭐️
- Keystone Oaks Board of School Directors: Upcoming meetings and February's noteworthy actions ✅
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Keystone Oaks High School is proud to announce that junior Kira Voichenko has been selected as the winner of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Outstanding Registered Pre-Apprentice Achievement Award. This statewide honor recognizes students who have completed a registered pre-apprenticeship program and have demonstrated exceptional dedication, talent, and potential for future success.
Kira’s passion for engineering and innovation is evident in her hands-on learning and academic pursuits. She participated in Catalyst Connection’s Industrial Manufacturing Technician Pre-Apprenticeship Program, completing it by earning certifications in the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council’s industry-recognized Safety and Quality Practices and Measurement modules. She completed a Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) course during her freshman year and is currently enrolled in an Engineering and Design course to further strengthen her design and technical skills.
An active member of the Robotics and Science Clubs, Kira has played a key role in her teams' successes. The high school Robotics Team that she is a member of recently competed in the state championship after a successful season in which they finished among the top teams in three local tournaments and received an Innovate Award for their engineering design process. The Science Club recently took second place in the Western PA Science Bowl, a Jeopardy-style competition that challenges students to answer questions about biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, energy, and math.
She has also expanded her learning beyond the school day—attending a summer math camp for girls at the University of Pittsburgh and completing hands-on robotics training at the Community College of Allegheny County.
“Kira’s achievements exemplify the excellence we strive to cultivate in all Keystone Oaks students,” said High School Principal Michael Linnert, Ed.D. “Her efforts to further her education through Catalyst Connection’s program are commendable and she is beyond deserving of this prestigious award and recognition.”
Kira will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit in April.
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On Monday, March 9, Keystone Oaks High School Robotics Team 48766A—Anthony Cerminara, Kira Voichenko, Shane Fehl, and Arina Voichenko— represented the district at the Western PA VEX V5 State Championship at Clarion University.
They are the second team in school history to advance to the state competition, following a successful season:
- At the Keystone Oaks Tournament, they finished in first place after seven qualifying rounds and finished in 6th place out of 48 teams in the Skills Challenge, which combines one minute of driver-control and one minute of autonomous operation.
- At Woodland Hills, they placed fourth and received the Innovate Award, presented to teams whose engineering design process demonstrates creativity, effective documentation, and a novel approach.
- At the East Allegheny Tournament, they secured a third-place finish.
In addition to the team’s success, Keystone Oaks High School Robotics Club sponsor and Technology Education teacher Mr. Jeff Oestrich was named the recipient of this year’s Teacher of the Year Award by Western PA Vex Robotics - a true testament to his dedication to the program and his students.
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On Tuesday, March 10, four Keystone Oaks Middle School robotics teams competed at the VEX IQ Western Pennsylvania State Championships—marking the first time that all the middle school's robotics teams qualified for the event. The teams earned their spot by posting high driving and programming scores throughout the season, ranking in the top 20 out of more than 80 teams statewide. One team finished in the top 10 out of 40 total teams that competed in the championships.
Congratulations to these 14 Keystone Oaks Middle School students on a successful season: Bailey Walsh, Amaya Brown, Whitley Booth, Lily Tortorea, Molly Knight, Lacey Brant, Alexa Alard Arcia, Judah Rutman, Vincent Tortorea, Bryce Hudson, Levi Frayer-Griggs, Penny Moorhouse, Brooke Balcerek, and Anthony Van Goor.
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What happens when you remove the pressure of identity and simply let students talk? Passing the Torch, a new cross-building collaborative podcast series, explores this question by pairing a middle school student with a high school student for an anonymous conversation. With no names and no faces—just honest questions and real advice—students open up about navigating the transition to high school.
Guided by middle school teachers Mrs. McMahon and Mr. Bell, high school teacher counselor Mrs. Varrenti, and high school teacher Mr. McCrerey, the project creates a safe space where students feel seen, supported, and better prepared for the road ahead. While not tied to a specific class, producing Passing the Torch takes place during the school day and is thoughtfully structured by educators from both buildings.
Topics for each episode are developed jointly by the teacher team, drawing on common concerns and student input about what it truly feels like to step into high school. Students volunteer or are recommended by teachers and counselors to ensure diverse perspectives and meaningful participation.
Multiple episodes are planned throughout the remainder of the school year, each featuring a new student pairing and a fresh topic. Conversations will be shared through school announcements and digital platforms, including the Middle School's YouTube channel.
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At their February meeting, the Board of School Directors approved a resolution for formal action constituting a debt ordinance under the Local Government Unit Debt Act. This authorization permits District Administration to proceed with incurring nonelectoral debt by issuing general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $38,000,000. The funds will support the first two phases of the planned elementary school renovation project.
The District has been debt free since March 2023, when it made the final payment on its last outstanding bond series. This achievement is exceptionally rare among public school districts in Pennsylvania and reflects the Board of School Directors’ continued commitment to strong financial stewardship and service to the community.
Earlier this month, the Keystone Oaks School District participated in a financial review with Moody's Ratings, a national agency that evaluates the financial health of public organizations. Following this review, Moody’s assigned the district an A1 credit rating, which is considered strong and reflects confidence in the district’s financial management.
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Four of the Keystone Oaks School District’s Odyssey of the Mind teams earned top honors in last weekend’s regional competition and are advancing to the PA State Finals! These teams represent 25 students from all five Keystone Oaks schools!
Students worked together to solve problems that presented unique and creative engineering challenges. This year’s winning teams tackled these two problems:
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The Epic Quest. Teams created an original performance about a quest, featuring a beast, a rescue, and a performance-based epic poem.
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Taller Tales of John Jivery. Teams created a humorous, original tall tale with a hero/heroine performing an incredible feat, explaining how something began.
These students achieved top honors against more than 100 teams from western Pennsylvania. Congratulations to the following teams on their outstanding performances:
- 🥉 Casper and the Friendly Goats - 3rd Place, Division 1, Problem 3
- 🥈 Puffy Marshmallows - 2nd Place, Division 1 Problem 3
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🥇 Space Kidets - 1st Place, Division 2, Problem 5
- 🥇 Precisely Cut Potatoes - 1st Place, Division 3, Problem 5
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Get ready for the ultimate feel-good night out with Mamma Mia!— Keystone Oaks High School’s 2026 Spring Musical!
This smash-hit musical is built around the unforgettable songs of ABBA. Set on a sunny Greek island, this heartwarming and hilarious story follows a young bride-to-be who secretly invites three men from her mother’s past in hopes of discovering which one is her father. Filled with timeless hits like “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and “Super Trouper,” Mamma Mia! is a joyful celebration of love, friendship, and family. Whether you’re a longtime ABBA fan or new to the music, you’ll be singing and dancing in your seat from curtain up to the final encore!
Shows will be held on Thursday, April 16, Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, 2026. All shows begin at 7 p.m. in the Michael A. Callara Auditorium.
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Congratulations to our winter athletic teams and student athletes on their tremendous success!
- Both the boys and girls basketball teams competed in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
- Varsity Wrestler Jeremy Wagner earned his 100th career win at the Northern AA WPIAL Individual Wrestling Championships.
- Three wrestlers - Jeremy Wagner, Ryder Gearhart, and Dylan Jones - earned 4th, 5th, and 7th places, respectively, at the WPIAL Individual Championships and secured spots to compete at the Southwest AA PIAA Regional Championships in Altoona in late February.
Congratulations to the following Keystone Oaks High School student athletes who have been named to the All-Conference basketball and two two players who have been recognized as Players of the Year!
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Hannah York - Girls Basketball, 3A Section 3 All-Conference Player of the Year and First Team 🏀
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Natalee Tortorella - Girls Basketball, 3A Section 3 All-Conference 2nd Team 🏀
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Kailyn Brannon - Girls Basketball, 3A Section 3 All-Conference Honorable Mention 🏀
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Erond Jakupi - Boys Basketball, 3A Section 2 All-Conference Player of the Year and First Team 🏀
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Joey Colton - Boys Basketball, 3A Section 2 All-Conference First Team 🏀
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In late February, 35 Keystone Oaks High School students and staff members jumped into pools of cold water as part of the Special Olympics of PA’s 2026 Pittsburgh Cool Schools Plunge at Acrisure Stadium. Together, this group, which represents the Unified Bocce Team and Best Friends Club, raised $3,500 for Special Olympics. All of the funds raised help to provide free sports, health, and leadership programming to athletes in southwestern Pennsylvania. |
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Keystone Oaks High School's student-run business, Golden Oaks Designs, is selling their handmade items - including charcuterie boards, ornaments, nightlights, and hand-turned pens, pencils and cases - at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show through Sunday, March 15. There are more than 1,500 exhibitors at the show, but Golden Oaks Designs is the only student-run business on the exhibitors list! Be sure to stop by and support our student entrepreneurs! |
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Five members of the High School Science Club recently competed in the Western PA Science Bowl held at the CCAC South Campus. Students began practicing in October, honing their knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, energy, and math. In the morning, they competed in head-to-head matchups against area schools. Finishing second in their division earned them a spot in the playoffs, where they were narrowly eliminated by a single question. Congratulations to M. Ellenberger, Eli Hubinsky, Anthony Cerminara, Jasper Dalessandri-Fetterman, and Shane Fehl on their hard work and success. |
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A team of Keystone Oaks Middle School students recently earned 2nd place in the Science Bowl, competing against nearly 50 teams from Allegheny County schools.
Sponsored by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and hosted at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Science Bowl challenges students to complete three different tasks based on information that is provided in the museum’s exhibits.
Congratulations to Jonah Luft, Daniel Cario, and Edward Reinert on a successful day!
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This year, more than 270 Keystone Oaks 5th and 6th grade students participated in the D.A.R.E. program and all four buildings recently held events to celebrate the students' successful completion of the program!
The D.A.R.E. program was taught by three certified instructors - Keystone Oaks School Police Chief Ron Porupsky and Keystone Oaks School Police Officers Shane McGrath and Bryan Frankenfield.
Over the course of ten weeks, instructors followed D.A.R.E.’s keepin’ it REAL curriculum, which is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to resist pressures that may influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Students were also introduced to the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model that will assist them in problem solving, being a good citizen, and helping them make smart decisions.
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The Board of School Directors will hold its March Business/Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Board Room. The agenda will be posted online 24 hours prior to the meeting.
The Keystone Oaks Board of School Directors took the following noteworthy actions at its February meeting:
- The board adopted the 2026-2027 School Year Calendar. More information, including a list of key calendar dates, is available on the district website.
- The board adopted a new textbook: Introductory Statistics 2e.
- The board approved the hiring of a paraprofessional, two food service employees, and a day-to-day substitute teacher for the remainder of the school year.
- The board approved the General Operating and Jointure Budget for Parkway West Career and Technology Center for the 2026-2027 school year, which included Keystone Oaks’ estimated share of the budget.
- The board approved two competitive events for the FBLA and FCCLA clubs to participate in State Leadership Conferences.
The following Board Committee meetings are scheduled in March and April:
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Buildings, Grounds & Transportation Committee and Budget & Finance Committee | Tuesday, March 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Board Room
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Communications Committee Meeting | Wednesday, April 8 | 6 p.m. | Board Room
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