Assistant principal resigns from post at Plum High School
The Plum School Board accepted the resignation of Melanie Manes, an assistant principal at the district’s high school.
The North Allegheny School Board voted Feb. 21 to hire Manes as an assistant principal at that district’s intermediate high school, with a salary of $99,000.
Plum Superintendent Rick Walsh will determine the date of Manes’ resignation, but it is to be within 60 days of her notice.
School board OKs personnel moves
The Plum School Board approved several personnel moves in February.
Rebecca Konarski was hired as a social worker, effective upon release from her previous position, with a salary of $59,000.
Heather Doyle was named interim director of special education and student services, effective Feb. 27. The director, Amy Baumgart-Eiben, is on leave from Feb. 6 through April 2. Baumgart-Eiben was hired at Plum in August 2022.
Annette Giovanazzi was hired as an independent contractor to conduct a review of the district’s student services department. Giovanazzi is a retired social worker from the Baldwin-Whitehall School District.
Will Navari was approved as a long-term substitute social studies teacher at Plum Middle School, while Katherine Kuhn was approved as a long-term substitute special education teacher at the high school. Both are retroactive to Jan. 29, and they will be paid $225 per day.
For the district’s extended school year, Holly Schohn was hired as lead teacher and Alexandra Bozicevic was hired as a certified school nurse, each at $26 per hour.
Schohn was also hired as a special education teacher for the Plum Digital Learning Academy, retroactive to Jan. 29, with a $3,000 stipend.
Jessica McDonald was hired as a tutor, effective Feb. 28, at $35 per hour. Kristin Walling was hired as a paraprofessional at Pivik Elementary, effective Feb. 28, at $16.35 per hour.
William Shaw was hired as a part-time custodian, effective Feb. 28, at $16.75 per hour.
Marilyn Miller was hired as a van driver, effective March 1, at $18 per hour. Emmanuel Beard was changed from van driver to full-time bus driver effective Feb. 19 at $23.45 per hour.
Among resignations were Carrie Gray, food service, effective March 5; Christine Devine, food service, effective March 8; and Maryann Marsh, substitute bus aide, effective Feb. 9.
Plum AARP slated to meet March 12
Plum AARP will hold its monthly meeting at noon March 12 in Unity Community Church.
Hot dogs with condiments and chips will be provided for $2; cake, coffee and tea are free. The program will be Ron Soltis, singing and playing the keyboard. Members also can purchase tickets to the May luncheon, which will be held May 14 at Jaden’s II.
Plum AARP is a social/service group featuring informative speakers or entertainment at each meeting. The group also plans a May luncheon, a summer social and a Christmas party each year, as well as opportunities to sign up for day or overnight trips through Thomas Tours and Travel or Louise Grassi Tours.
Regular meetings are held at noon on the second Tuesday of each month in Unity Community Church. The group meets September through August (except June) and is open to men and women from Plum, Penn Hills, Monroeville and surrounding areas.
For details, call Mary Lou at 724-327-8265.
Car show benefit set for April
The Steel City Chapter of the Heavy Hitters Car Club will host an April 21 car show at the Boyce Park Wave Pool.
It will be from noon to 5 p.m. at 740 Old Frankstown Road in Plum, with special guest host and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps.
The entry fee is $10 and the event will include food, music, a 50-50 and basket raffles along with awards in seven categories.
Proceeds will benefit Tiny Cause, a nonprofit dog rescue shelter in Vandergrift. For details, visit SCheavyhitters.com.
Oakmont library offers chess club
A free chess club for kids ages 8 to 19 is available at the Oakmont Carnegie Library.
The class meets from 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays. No experience is necessary, and no registration is required. Sessions will include introducing chess pieces and how they move, opening moves and setups, controlling the center and mid-game scenarios, checkmating and endgame, and chess etiquette.
The library is at 700 Allegheny River Blvd. in Oakmont.
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For more information, call 412-828-9532.
Group offers support for weight loss
The Oakmont TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) chapter, a support group to help those struggling with weight loss, meets Tuesday evenings at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1261 Pennsylvania Ave. in Oakmont. Meetings begin with a private weigh-in between 5:45 and 6:10 p.m.
Anyone interested in joining can attend a meeting and decide if TOPS is right for them. For details, call 412-828-3854 or email jmjkwj@gmail.com.