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PHS Graduates Honored For Scoring Well On AP Exams

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Thirty-nine Pittsfield High School students have been recognized for acing Advanced Placement examines. 
 
Two students, Adam Shepardson and Stephen Taglieri, were named National AP Scholars. Shepardson is now attending Brown University and Taglieri is attending George Mason University. The designation is given to students who receive a score of at least 4 on all AP exams or a score of 4 or better on eight or more of the exams.
 
"We are very proud of our AP program at Pittsfield High School. Not only our AP scholars but also that our courses are open to all students," Principal Henry Duval said at last week's School Committee meeting.
 
PHS boasts of the county's largest AP exam program with 200 students taking 342 exams in 21 different subject areas in 2018. The school has taken on a focus on expanding AP opportunities for its students.
 
The school is also the only high school in the county offering the College Board's AP Capstone program.
 
"We've been steadily expanding our course offerings and we are particularly excited about Capstone, a challenging two-course sequence focusing on inquiry, college research writing, and presentation skills," Vice Principal of Teaching and Learning Brendan Sheran said.
 
Three PHS students, Isabelle Masiero, Stephen Taglieri and Emily Taylor earned the AP Capstone Diploma. This honor is given for students achieving a score of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research courses, as well as four other AP exams. One student, Makailey Cookis, earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. This distinction is given to students who achieve a 3 or higher in both Capstone courses.
 
Noah Beckwith, now attending Tulane, Anissa Lovallo, now attending Florida Institute of Technology; Eamon McCandless, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Liam Mooney, at Tufts University, all earned AP Scholar with Distinction designation, which is reserved for students who earned an average score of 3.5 or more on all AP exams and scores of 3 or better on five or more exams.
 
Named as AP Scholar with Honor from the class of 2018 are Trent Marran, now attending RPI; Emily Taylor, now attending Boston College; and Hayley Tobin, now attending Stonehill College. The AP Scholar with Honor designation means that they earned an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or better on four or more of those exams.
 
Named as AP Scholars from the upcoming class of 2019 are Hannah Berkel, Aidan Chalfonte, Jaden Coscia, Trista Dearstyne, Katherine Dumigan, Grace Heimann, Jacob Jamros, Olivia Kriedeman-Hubbard, Emily Mazzeo, and Thomas Rindfus.
 
Graduates of the class of 2018 named AP Scholars and the colleges they are attending: Nadine Billow, Makailey Cookis, Olivia Douhan, Daniel Maillet, and Molly Tierney, all at the Unversity of Massachusetts at Amherst; Joshua Allessio, Clarkson University; Michael Cavalieri, Wheaton College; Gabrielle DiMassimo, Worcester State University; Sabil Kaddoura, University of San Francisco; Isabella Masiero, John Cabot University; William Munch, UMass at Lowell; Giuliana Pierce, Assumption College; John Pletzer, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Alexa Pudlo, Providence College; Kamea Quetti-Hall, Occidental College; and Noah Santos, at Florida Institute of Technology.
 
The designation of AP Scholar is granted to students who receive scores of 3 or better on 3 or more AP Exams.

Tags: AP course,   AP scholars,   PHS,   

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Toy Library Installed at Onota Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Feel free to use or leave a toy at Onota Lake's newest infrastructure meant to foster community and benefit kids.

Burbank Park now has a toy library thanks to Wahconah Regional High School senior Alexandra Bills. Located along the wall at the beach area, the green and blue structure features two shelves with sand toys that can be used to enhance children's visits.

The Parks Commission supported Bills' proposal in February as part of her National Honors Society individual service project and it was installed this month. Measuring about 4 feet wide and 5.8 feet tall, it was built by the student and her father with donated materials from a local lumber company.

Friends and family members provided toys to fill the library such as pails, shovels, Frisbees, and trucks.

"I wanted to create a toy library like the other examples in Berkshire County from the sled library to the book libraries," she told the commission in February.

"But I wanted to make it toys for Onota Lake because a lot of kids forget their toys or some kids can't afford toys."

Bills lives nearby and will check on the library weekly — if not daily — to ensure the operation is running smoothly.  A sign reading "Borrow-Play-Return" asks community members to clean up after themselves after using the toys.

It was built to accommodate children's heights and will be stored during the winter season.

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