Fall 2023: Grades Six - Eight
2:00 - 3:00
SU 40 (cross-listed with 9th-12th grade): Jazz Hands
It’s time to dust off those dancing shoes and warm up those jazz hands. In this course, students will break down the fundamentals of dance by learning proper stretching techniques that can be used on an everyday basis to promote healthy habits, as well as touch on some jazz dance history, culture, and the different types of jazz simultaneously as the class learns how to jazz dance. Additionally, students will learn a large group jazz routine that will be performed for families at the end of the course!
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Placid AB
Alyson Frank is a senior at Saint Vincent College majoring in Mathematics with a Secondary Education certification. She has had numerous experiences working with children, including teaching soccer and dance to students at the elementary and middle school levels, working at church youth groups and summer camps, job shadows at the high school level, and tutoring at the 3rd, 8th, and 12th grade age levels. One of her favorite experiences was teaching her kindergarten dance class and watching them preform at the end of the year on stage! In Alyson’s free time, she can normally be found running, dancing, hanging out with friends, traveling, and spending time outdoors.
SU 41: The Narnia Chronicles
Welcome to the world of Narnia! In this course, middle schoolers will complete a novel study of one of C.S. Lewis' most famous works, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Students will engage in a variety of hands-on activities to comprehend each chapter and analyze the text. If you love classic fantasy novels, this class is for you!
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Dupre E106
Ms. Kayleigh Orr is a Junior at Saint Vincent College majoring in Middle-Grade Education with a Language Arts concentration. She has had many experiences with children, including working as a camp counselor for North Park YMCA mentoring children from the age of five to twelve. Ms. Orr also volunteered for the Miracle League of Uniontown for an extended period of time aiding and teaching Special Education children how to play baseball. After receiving her degree Ms. Orr plans to return to Saint Vincent’s School Administration program.
SU 51 (cross-listed with 9th-12th grade): Checkmate! Basics of Chess
Do pawns, rooks, bishops, queens, and kings fascinate you? Do you love the analytical side of games? If so, "Checkmate!" is for you! In this class, we will learn the rules of chess, the movements of each piece, and a variety of chess strategies. Opportunities for hands-on chess play will also be included. By the end of this class, you may be your own chess master!
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Alfred 21
Mr. Carlo Pipitone is a Junior in Saint Vincent College, and is studying a Major in History and a Minor in Education. Mr. Pipitone took a gap semester, and enlisted in the New York Army National Guard as an Artillery Fire Control Specialist with the rank of Private First Class. Since high school, he has volunteered with the Air Force’s civilian auxiliary; the Civil Air Patrol, where he has completed two student pilot flight hours and wilderness search & rescue certifications. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games such as Minecraft. He has eight pets at home, including seven cats and a dog at his home in Staten Island, New York City.
3:00- 4:00
SU 42: Introduction to Computer Programming
This course is designed to teach middle school age students how to code using the Python programming language. We will be utilizing the free Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Academy system for this class, which uses a fun, graphics-based approach to programming. Students who complete this course will be well situated to take further coursework in Python or other computer programming languages.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Dupre
Ms. Azzia Berestecki (Ms. B) is a junior student at Saint Vincent College. She is pursuing a degree in Middle Grade Education, with a Math Concentration, and a minor in STEM Education. Ms. B has worked at a youth center since 2019, where she has served as a Youth Coordinator, as well as at a summer camp since 2019, where she has served as a Cabin Leader and Assistant Program Director. Some of her hobbies include singing, acting, reading, and hanging with friends and family! This is Ms. B’s 3rd time teaching Step-Up and she is so excited to meet her students for this semester!
SU 43: Lifetime Fitness
Students will participate in a variety of athletic activities and learn skills that will last them a lifetime! Students will showcase their athletic abilities by playing a variety of racquet sports. This class will require students to get up and move as they will participate in various circuit training drills! This course will also cover nutrition and hygiene that is essential to having a healthy lifestyle. This class is sports based so participants will be required to wear athletic clothing and tennis shoes, a water bottle is also encouraged. If you have a passion for healthy living and a love for sports, this is the class for you!
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Dupre E102
Ms. Sydney Burton is a sophomore at Saint Vincent College majoring in Health and Physical Education. She has had experience working with children as a camp counselor at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. She is a distance swimmer for the Saint Vincent College women’s swim team. Some of her favorite hobbies include traveling, being with friends and family, and watching reality TV. After graduation, she plans on getting a physical education teaching job at a high school in the south! She is looking forward to meeting and building relationships with her students!
4:00- 5:00
SU 44: Lions, Tigers, and . . . Mummies? Oh my: The History and Culture of Ancient Egypt- *This class is currently full. If you are interested, please email the Director to be placed on the waitlist.*
So, you have heard of mummies but what do you truly know about them? This class will dive into a historical recount of Ancient Egypt’s story. This will allow students to explore culture, religion, and practices custom to one of the first biggest civilizations in the world. Students should expect to participate in many hands-on activities to help recreate Ancient Egypt within the classroom.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Dupre E106
Ms. Gabrielle Milcoff is a junior at Saint Vincent College majoring in Secondary Education with a concentration in History. She has had many fulfilling experiences working with children including her volunteer hours at an orphanage in Puta Cana and her local church’s Vacation Bible School over the summer. More recently, Ms. Milcoff works as a summer camp counselor at the Sewickley YMCA where she engages with children ages 5-12. She looks forward to returning to winter camp at the YMCA to kickstart her third year of employment. In her free time, she can usually be found at the gym, writing, or spending time with friends and family.
SU 45: Exploring the World Using Trigonometry
In this course, students will learn the basics of right triangles and how they can be applied to their lives. The course will start by giving a strong understanding of Pythagorean’s theorem. Then the students will learn to use the theorem to find the distance between points on a coordinate plane. After they will apply this knowledge to find the distance between real world problems. The class will conclude with the students calculating the direct distance between their homes and Saint Vincent College using coordinates from google maps.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Dupre S201
Mr. Domenic Hipps is a sophomore at Saint Vincent college and a graduate of Hempfield Area High school. He is majoring in mathematics with a certificate in secondary education. He has a lot of experience tutoring younger students through Hempfield area’s peer tutoring and peer mentoring programs. Also, he has a lot of experience working at Hempfield basketball camps for youth. You can usually find him studying, playing sports with his friends, or exercising. He plans to go on to teach mathematics and coach at a local high school.
