Friendship: It's In The Wrist Here Please

Several Peruvian families will have the opportunity to prosper in 2009 thanks to the efforts of fifth-grade pupils in the Mt. Lebanon School District.

The students, 357 in all, created multicolored friendship bracelets from yarn and then sold them at 50 cents each in an effort to raise about $150 to purchase a llama for a Peruvian family through an organization called Heifer International.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08359/937276-55.stm

Art Expression: Markham Pupils Learn Social Skills Inside And Out

There's an image of ourselves that we share with the world every day. Then there's the part of our psyche that we keep private and locked away -- where secrets and emotions lie hidden.

In recent weeks, a group of third- and fourth-grade pupils at Markham Elementary in Mt. Lebanon have been trying to illustrate both sides of themselves via an art project that is part of an after-school program called Art Expression.

The program uses art as its vehicle, but its real goal is to support pupils' social skills development.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07305/830126-55.stm