News

Yesterday, under a dramatic sky, 130 supporters of Valley School took to the greens at Laurel Valley Golf Club for the 18th annual Friends of Valley School Golf Tournament & Auction. This important fundraiser enhances the daily education experiences of all our students by generating resources by which we purchase classroom materials, maintain and update facilities, implement new programs, and provide professional development opportunities for faculty. Thank you to our event committee and the many generous sponsors, donors, and participants who made the day a wonderful success!

On Saturday, we welcomed six regional schools for a day of competition on the field hockey and soccer fields. It was a gorgeous day for the annual Valley School Fall Tournament, and our athletes played their hearts out. Of course, the other side of competition is camaraderie, and we were thrilled to see so many young athletes enjoy that aspect of their sports. One of the reasons this event means so much to Valley School is that it is always a wonderful display of our Valley Core Values. This year was no exception; everyone in attendance--players, coaches, refs, spectators, and volunteers--participated in the spirit of community, wellness, and integrity. Special thanks to Pine Richland, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, Westmont Hilltop, Mt. Pleasant, and Rockwood schools for showing up and making it such a fun day for all!

Our 8^th-grade students are becoming AI Pioneers! In this new course, our emerging engineers will learn how to create projects for social good using Python programming language. Through hands-on coding, students will discover how computers can use data to solve complex problems like natural language processing and computer vision. They will also explore the ways scientists meaningfully use AI to predict heart disease, create social robots, assist with disaster relief, and navigate autonomous vehicles.

This virtual course, which is taught weekly by Stanford and MIT AI researchers, emphasizes ethical responsibility, career paths in artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary applications of AI technologies.

Each year we love the transition from the quiet of summer to the excited bustle of students in our classrooms and hallways. This week, we welcomed 191 students for the 2022-2023 academic year! Smiles, laughter, and happy friend reunions are just the beginning. We have a wonderful year of learning adventures ahead!