• Fox Chapel Area High School has been awarded a Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grant of $10,000 to enhance the development of the Raising Expectations Daily Center, or R.E.D.

The R.E.D. Center is a strength and wellness facility in the Fox Chapel Area High School Field House, used by physical education classes and for after-school activities.

The grant will help the district purchase additional strength/conditioning equipment.

The district also received a $10,000 grant from the foundation through the Highmark Healthy High 5 for use in the R.E.D. Center last year. It also was used to buy strength and conditioning equipment.

• Two Dorseyville Middle School orchestras recently won awards at the Music in the Parks Festival in Hershey. The Dorseyville Middle School Sinfonia Orchestra placed first in its division, first overall, and as top orchestra.

The Dorseyville Middle School Philharmonic Orchestra placed second in its division and third overall. Both orchestras earned ratings of "superior," which is the highest rating possible.

The Dorseyville orchestras competed against 34 middle and high school orchestras from public and private schools from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The festival was held May 8-9.

All of the participating students are in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. The orchestras are under the direction of teacher Jeff Bryer.

The North Allegheny Federation of Teachers has established two $2,500 scholarships for North Allegheny seniors who have chosen to enter a career in elementary or secondary education.

This year, the scholarships were presented to Catherine Rodgers, of Franklin Park, and Alyssa Tekolste, of Marshall.

Miss Rodgers is the daughter of Norman and Anne Rodgers and plans to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She wants to major in elementary education and is interested in a concentration in Spanish education.

Miss Tekolste plans to attend Colorado State University in its Honors Program and will major in mathematics and seek secondary teaching certification.

She is the daughter of Gary and Michelle Tekolste.

The North Hills Senior High School choral department will present its spring choral concert, "Love Notes," at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the senior high auditorium.

Admission to the spring choral concert is free and open to the public.

• Registration for the North Hills summer community swim program is scheduled for Tuesday. Families may register between 6 and 9 p.m. in the large group instruction room of North Hills Junior High School, 55 Rochester Road.

The district is offering two, two-week learn-to-swim sessions. Session I runs June 15 -- 26. Session II begins June 29 and ends July 13. Each session consists of 10 lessons, which are held weekdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The community swim program follows the American Red Cross certification program and offers instruction in level I though level VI. Level I sessions are 30 minutes. Levels II through VI are one hour lessons.

The cost is $50. All lessons will be held in the North Hills Senior High School pool.

For more information, call the Athletics and Activities Office at 412-318-1437 or e-mail Sue Stein, program coordinator, steins@nhsd.net.

"Write the Night Away" has been rescheduled for June 4. The program was originally scheduled for last Thursday.

The program recognizes Pine-Richland Middle School students who have had their writing published in the school literary magazine, The Writer's World, and in local and national publications. The program runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The school literary magazine received an excellent rating from the National Council of Teachers of English. Participants will be able to view the magazine. Students will be presented with certificates noting their publishing achievements.

Pledges for the weight room/fitness facility at Quaker Valley High School total $60,275 so far, including $30,000 from Esmark Inc.

The pledges were made March 19 at an event called Challenge Match, where more than 100 people visited the Edgeworth Club to have free appetizers, make donations and learn about the proposed new equipment. The crowd included coaches, parents, alumni and community members.

In less than two hours, the challenge amount of $30,000 was exceeded and Esmark honored its pledge of $30,000 to meet the overall goal of $60,000.

The amount above the goal will be used for additional electric and utility improvements needed to complete the project.