It took a great deal of planning on Michael’s part but all his efforts really paid off. The day was a great success and everyone had fun. It all began back in April when Michael met with the leader of his Troop #252 (based in Hahntown) for approval of his Eagle Scout project and then met Sister Charlene to share his ideas, get feedback, and set up the program.

Michael recruited his entire family to help with the project. His mom, Wendy, helped with the pre-planning and was assigned to a group as a choreographer/singer as was his younger brother, Zach. His grandmother was also recruited to help out.

Michael devised a schedule for an entire day of performing arts activities. He had several members from his scout troop and a large group from the Norwin High School Theater Club and Show Choir on hand to help. Mike had tee shirts made for his volunteers and worked with them to select music and choreograph hand motions and simple dance steps that could be taught to the Clelian students. He assigned volunteers to homeroom groups to teach specific song and dance routines. He included breaks for snacks, rest, lunch, and recess.

During the day, Mike’s dad, Mike senior, and his grandfather made sure that the hungry volunteers were rejuvenated with pizza and drink. And, throughout the day, Mike senior manned the video camera capturing every funny and enjoyable moment during practice and performance.

The day was planned to end with an all-school performance where each group could show off the song and dance routines they had learned. Some of the performances included instruments and props. Everyone enjoyed the entertainment and the day of interacting!

Each Clelian student received a music certificate for participating and a music CD of all the songs performed that day. Michael sent home a flyer prior to the “Performing Arts Day” to each Clelian family asking them to send in non-perishable items or canned goods for the food bank as a way for Clelian students to “pass forward” the act of generosity and shared giving and receiving. Here is a glimpse of the day caught on camera: 

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Hannah’s mom, Jennifer works at Clelian and her older sister Jill did too. Her dad, Dale, also volunteers throughout the year and helps with the planning and coordination of the Camp Clelian Day.

“I choose an internship for my senior project because I am very interested in special education as a future career,” said Hannah. “Another interest of mine is speech therapy. I know whatever I do in the future, I want to be helping children with special needs.”

As part of her internship, Hannah served as a classroom aide to a teacher for the extended school year program. She observe a teacher for a required number of hours to better understand the workings of a special classroom, then developed a lesson plan along with a supporting activity which she used to teach the students. “Doing the lesson plan helped me to learn how much work and thinking goes into a lesson and how to manage the time. I learned more about IEP’s and how they are written. My plan included reading the book, ‘If You Give A Pig a Pancake’ and then follow up with having the kids make pancakes for snack.

Hannah coordinated the book drive at Clelian which benefitted children and teens at the Westmoreland Juvenile Detention Center, The Westmoreland Youth Shelter, and Women’s Services of Westmoreland County. A few adult books were donated to the YWCA for its charity book sale. “People give so much to Clelian and I wanted to help the students do something to give back to other kids so I decided to do a book drive of new and gently used books. We collected just over 2,000 books for these programs.”

Hannah is the president of her high schools SADD club, a member of the student council and a member of the field hockey, swim, and lacrosse teams.

Alexandra came to Clelian Heights as part of her senior project for Greensburg Salem High School. The general purpose of the project is to allow Greensburg Salem High School students the opportunity to “extend learning in an area of interest related to a career; demonstrating and improving academic skills in thinking, organizing, creating, researching, writing and presenting; promoting life-skills such as independent problem-solving, time management, networking and decision-making skills; becoming more resourceful and sharing one’s learning; providing an opportunity to discover ones strengths and weakness as a learner and, becoming a lifelong learner.”

Alexandra’s focus was on learning more about the causes of autism and studying the current research. She went a step beyond that by volunteering at Clelian Heights where she could work with our students and gain first-hand knowledge as well. She presented her findings on the current research including some of the latest scientific theories.

Wanting to do something to give back to Clelian, Alexandra decided to sponsor an activity to benefit the summer program that she so enjoyed. “I love volunteering and working with the students at Clelian,” said Alexandra, “I wanted to raise some money to help with all the activities they do or for the supplies they need to do them. With all the cutbacks, I know this help is needed.” Alexandra made Autism Awareness Packets to raise awareness among the students at Greensburg Salem. The packet includes an autism awareness bracelet with the traditional puzzle logo on it and the ribbon shaped magnet. Alexandra asked for a $3.00 donation. Her efforts to raise awareness also raised over $400 for Clelian Heights!

Alexandra is a leader– a member of the National Honor Society; she’s athletic– a member of the cross country and the track and field teams; she’s socially conscious–a member of the environmental club and the S.H.O.P. (Students Helping Other People); She’s focused–holds a black belt in karate; but most importantly, she’s a caring young woman who wants to make a difference.

She will be attending Allegheny College in Meadville in the fall with plans to study Neuroscience. She wants to focus on autism research or possibly work with those who have been diagnosed with autism. “This is important to me because I have Asperger’s myself. I don’t want to cure myself, because that implies there is something wrong with me, and there is not. But I would like to help some who are lower functioning and maybe who cannot speak for themselves, to help them find ways to communicate on their own.”

Homer Adams is Director of the Puppet Ministry and resides in Delmont. He says that the troupe travels “anywhere folks would like. We perform for groups of all ages”. How the group ended up at Clelian Heights is a bit of a story in itself. A few members of the Franklin Regional Girls’ Basketball Team, who last school year practiced with our boys’ team and hosted our team at one of their games, attended one of the Clelian Heights dances. The dance was such fun that the Franklin Regional Girls invited the Clelian residents to their church, Delmont Presbyterian, for an evening of fun–a puppet show and fellowship. The evening and the show were such a big hit that the puppeteers were invited to Clelian to perform for all the ESY program students.

The Presbyterian Church puppeteers include youth from college, high school and elementary school. Those performing at Clelian included C.J. Record who is also Assistant Director to Homer, Anastasia Barratt (Pastor Wayne Barratt’s daughter), Julia Begeman, Madison Rogina (who gave her first performance that day), and Justin Ledbetter. They were joined by puppeteers Aubrey Livengood, Becca Begeman, Grant Coiner and Whitmey Widdows. The young men and women are from the surrounding Delmont/Murrysville, Greensburg, and Penn Township/Manor areas.

As a member of the Franklin Regional girls’ basketball team, Mary met our students this past basketball season when her team worked out with the Clelian Crusaders, Clelian’s boys team, and hosted them and the Clelian cheerleading squad at one of the Franklin Regional home games. Mary was inspired to keep that relationship going after the season was over. As a senior girl scout, Mary needed to earn her Gold Award and had the inspiration to do a project that would include Clelian Heights. This way, her desires to both continue the relationship with the students of Clelian Heights and to assist them became her inspiration for her work on the Gold Award.

This summer Mary organized a special program for Clelian’s four week ESY program. Under the guidance of her troop leader, Sharon Komandt, who is also Mary’s mother, Mary put together a program of special crafts and sports related activities for the students to enjoy. Mary also secured donations for most of the materials that the students would use. She is holding eight sessions with ten volunteers recruited from her basketball team at Franklin Regional in addition to two fellow scouts from her troop to assist through the summer. These young women include, Maggie Kimmich, Hanna Wagner, Baylee Buleca, Robyn Stanley, Natalie Alexander, Alissa Lockwood, Stephanie Guzik, and Sarah Begany.

Activities included crafting patriotic placemats and bookmarks, designing personalized decks of cards, enjoying group games like bingo, working out with a parachute, practicing basketball and soccer skills, joining in relay races and much, much more.

At the end of the ESY program, Mary will host her volunteers at her home to show her appreciation. While there, they will make cards for the students at Clelian to wish them good luck and fun in the new school year.

Sr. Ritamary Schulz, Executive Director, introduced the ceremony by saying: “Our graduates begin a new journey to a new and exciting phase of their adult lives. We are grateful for the many gifts and talents which they have developed here over the years. They have worked hard during their formal school lives, and accomplished much. We rejoice in their achievements and know they will continue as they are now to be God’s blessing for each of us. We congratulate also their parents, families and so many who have watched them grow, nurtured them and encouraged them along the way to be who they are today. In the book of Jeremiah God says: For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to help you grow, plans to give you hope and a future.’ And it was Jesus who said ‘I am with you always, until the end of time.’  We applaud our graduates and support them as they move on to another venture and a new hope. Our prayer is that they know they are loved and are held continually in the Heart of Christ who loves them and cares for them, that they move forward with heads held high into the future that God has prepared for them. Our prayers, thoughts, best wishes and sincere congratulations are with them!”

During the ceremony each graduate spoke to the group gathered leaving  their own messages:

Kelly addressed the teachers, supervisors and school district representatives thanking them for all that she and her fellow graduates were taught and for preparing them for the future. Jeremy addressed the sisters and all the Clelian Heights staff acknowledging them for their love, support and prayers. Ronnie said a grateful ‘Thank You” to everyone. Greg thanked families, friends, teachers and supervisors, school district staff and sisters and staff at Clelian for always being there to support and cheer him and his classmates on in all the things that they had done throughout the years. Courtney expressed appreciation to everyone at Clelian for always being there for her and for celebrating this special day with her.  She said, “You all have made a difference in our lives and we have grown and matured because of that.”

The Staff of Clelian sang a wish for all the Graduates and its message was:  “I could wish you joy and peace to last your whole life long.  I could wish you sunshine …or wish you all the happiness that this life could bring but I wish you Jesus more than anything because when I wish you Jesus, I’ve wished you everything…”

Enjoy these special moments caught on slides from the graduation ceremony and party that followed:

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Promanade M.C. and D. J. was Barndon Datz. Photograper for the evening was Shannon Pologruto, and Videographer, Marlana Pillabaum. Special thanks to all the Prom sponsors for their support!  Here are some photo highlights of the 2011 Prom, Island Romance:

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Greensburg, PA –

Founded in 1961, Clelian Heights is a licensed, private facility currently serving over 90 children and 80 adults with developmental disabilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond.  The campus provides educatonal services to children, and vocational and employment services to adults. Residential services for adults in the program are also available.  The current staff of over 145 includes religious sisters and lay personnel who are dedicated to improving the quality of life and promoting the  individual happiness and  independence of each child, teen, and adult it serves.

Clelian Heights opened with a staff of four sisters from the community of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. With 4 students and by converting a barn to a 2-room school house and using the farm house as a residence for the sisters and 4 first students, Clelian Heights had its humble beginning.  But the need was so great that it grew quickly and within two years it had a waiting list for both the school house and the farm house residence.  As a private facility, the early pioneers of Clelian relied upon the kindness of strangers who soon became friends.  They made connections within and beyond the Greensburg community.  A building fund was started and in 1965 new facilities were being constructed.  Completed in 1968 the new school, vocational training area, and residences for children and young women continued to develop and grow.  Today the Clelian Heights campus accomodates over 90 children and 80 adults and includes a residential facility for men-Chip’s House, the Sweeney and Melenyzer apartment buildings for women, an adult vocational workshop and adult training facility–the Clelian Center, a day school for children age 5-21, with traditional classrooms in addition to indoor therapy pool and outdoor pool, gymnasium, physical, occupational, and speech therapy rooms, home economics kitchen, transition-to-work training room, sensory room, chapel, library, dog biscuit bakery, commercial laundry, maintenance building and garages for the fleet of vans that transport the children and adults into the community for employment training and field trips, and a playground that includes pavilion, amphitheatre, bicycle and sand circles.

It is out of the sprit of caring and appreciation for friends that the Heart to Heart awards were established to honor friends and benefactors without whom Clelian Heights could not accomplish so much.  This year’s honorees include:  Charles and Cecelia Decker, Greensburg, PA; Charles Demangone, Beijing, China; Lawrence Demangone, New Derry, PA; Dennis and Alicia Harter, Greensburg, PA; Philip X. Masciantonio, PhD, Jeannette, PA; Monsignor William R. Rathgeb, JCL, Greensburg, PA; Carol Sue Rocker, Yukon, PA; and Sam Wholey, Sewickly, PA.  Click here to see the banquet program book that features the honorees.

Special guests for the evening included Apostles of the Sacred Heart Superior General, Mother Clare Millea, ASCJ, of Rome, Italy and Provincial Superior, Sr. Maureen Martin, ASCJ, Hamden CT.  Westmoreland County Commissioner Charles and Nancy Anderson, Nancy Harris, Esq., Terry and Debbie Reese of Overly Manufacturing, Robert and Amber Raimondo of Raimondo Masonry, John Graziano of Graziano Funeral Home; Joseph and Pam Policastro of Classic Industries,  Roger  Lewis of St. Vincent College Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence and his wife, Nancy; Frances Branthoover of BECA Electric, Richard Gasperini of Bank of New York Melon Wealth Management,the Wholey families of Robert Wholey & Co.Inc, Kirk Utzinger of the Community Foundation and his wife Kelly, Knights of Columbus State Treasurer Gerald G. Andrews, Sr. Vivien Linkhaur, S.C., Provincial Superior of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Rose Marie Appel, WCIS Board member, Michael and Keely Keenan of Delisi and Associates, numerous priests from the Diocese of Greensburg and many more.

For more click here for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette coverage.

Here are some photo highlights of the 2011 Heart to Heart Awards Banquet:

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