Quaker Valley School District created an initiative called Portrait of a Learner last fall as a way to continue to evolve and engage with students, teachers, staff and the community.
Details of that initiative and other school projects were discussed at a spring business roundtable on April 22 at the district’s office in Leetsdale. College partners, businesses, ministries, non-profits and various organizations were invited. Ten community members attended the event, which is held two to three times a year.
“If you are having an event that our students can come to, let us know,” Tammy Andreyko, superintendent for nearly 1,900 students, told attendees. “We host these roundtables to make connections.”
Andreyko and Michelle Dietz, director of communications for the district, led a 90-minute session. The two, along with Susan Gentile, director of instruction and learning, Andrew Surloff, assistant superintendent, and Brett Slezak, director of innovation and strategic initiatives for the district, shared updates about future plans and welcomed advice and comments from the group.
These roundtable discussions help the district get ideas to make the curriculum more relevant, Gentile said. The district is not only focused on providing academic and technology training, as well as teaching how artificial intelligence has become part of the educational experience, but also concentrates on skills that books, computers and artificial intelligence cannot replicate.
Five of those skills — communicating, exploring, empathizing, engaging and persevering — were shown on a screen in an image of a circle because they all connect, Andreyko said. The district asked for real-world information from community members to help design ways to make the experience more relatable in the classroom, which is beneficial for creating a pathway for students to what’s next, Andreyko said.
She has also reached out to parents via a liaison group to get ideas. There are student focus groups in each building, she said, where discussions include the use of cell phones in school, among other topics. Some students will be doing taste-testing with the director of food service to suggest new menu items for the 2026-27 school year.
Quaker Valley has programming that includes counseling suite offerings in small groups, lunch and learns and individualized support and transition activities in fifth, sixth and eighth grades.
The district offers the Best Buddies program, which makes connections for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in K-12. The district has students participating in unified activities such as high school bocce through Special Olympics and offers robotics.
There is a pilot program in middle school in an esports program, which has created a cohesive connection among students, Slezak said.
“It’s about making the school environment more inviting, and the curriculum more relevant,” Surloff said.
Andreyko asked those in attendance for a call to action as the district looks forward to the 2026-2027 school year. She asked for recommendations on how to help the district create or facilitate a connection by having a student shadow someone from the business or organization, work on a project, be a guest speaker or gain an internship.
She asked about their thoughts on the importance of the aforementioned five skills.
Communication is vital, said Rachel Mauer, co-founder of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter.
“I always try to tell students to email because this is how we communicate,” Mauer said. “We don’t do Snapchat. Sending a text is fine. But also send an email.”
Mauer said students must notify someone if they aren’t going to be at home, school, work or an event.
“That is about accountability,” Mauer said. “It’s a learning process.”
That learning process might look different depending on the student, said Wayne Murphy, board member of the Sewickley Valley Community Fund. Some students might need extra guidance, Murphy said. For those involved in clubs, activities, the National Honor Society or sports, the accountability might be more natural.
“There are some people who need extra focus,” Murphy said. “The support mechanisms need to be there to encourage them. That is so valuable.”
Encouraging students to initiate an idea is wonderful, said Carla Nash, executive director of the Union Aid Society. During the holidays, the organization gives gift cards to families in need. Nash was contacted by two teens who wanted to do a coat drive. She said the girls showed communication, empathy and engagement.
“These two young ladies collected the coats and handed them out,” Nash said. “It was a smashing success. They were talking with people and engaging with them. They saw what it means to run an event. They were so great and so gracious. It was beautiful.”
Partnering with Quaker Valley is about making connections, said Spenser Sninchak, workforce development coordinator, cooperative education coordinator for Parkway West Career and Technology Center in North Fayette.
The center offers students in a dozen districts training in various fields with a wide variety of companies. Most students are juniors and seniors.
“The conversation here really has been towards career education,” Sninchak said. “We as educators are looking at the future of education. I work with partnerships to help place students for work.”
Sninchak said some students might be a little intimidated to leave the comfort of the classroom for out-of-classroom experiences because “they’re almost nervous to go and make mistakes.”
“The companies I have talked to have assured me they are not looking for 10- and 15-year veterans,” Sninchak said. “They’re looking for fresh faces that have a strong, foundational background and work ethic. They can teach them their trade.”
Slezak echoed the importance of making connections. For students, that begins with showing them that what they are learning in the classroom relates to what they will be doing once they graduate.
“We want to give them something they can carry into their future with them,” Slezak said.
Increasing real-world relevance and connections through curriculum and learning experiences begins with fostering a feeling of welcoming and belonging in its schools, Andreyko said.
“It means determining what resources Quaker Valley could provide to better serve students and families and engaging parents and community members in decision making,” Andreyko said. “It takes all of us working together.”