School Notes

George Steinhoff will return to the

Penn-Delco School District

as its superintendent of schools starting July 1.

The Penn-Delco Board of School Directors unanimously approved Steinhoff as superintendent at a special meeting May 6. He will receive a starting salary of $175,000 as part of a five-year contract.

Steinhoff, 40, was principal of

Pennell Elementary School

in Aston for about two years, before taking a position in the Avon Grove School District this winter.

He will replace Robert Mesaros, who was appointed acting superintendent in August.

Steinhoff received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from St. Joseph's University, a master's in early childhood education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate from the University of Delaware.

Musician Mary Knysh taught students about African, Native American and other world music as part of

Garnet Valley Elementary School

's week-long artist-in-residence program.

Knysh held special sessions with three groups of 30 students, in which she taught them about the cultural heritage of the music they were playing.

The first group focused on music and drumming of Africa, the second one on Native America and Caribbean music, and the third on rhythms of Greece, Indonesia, Japan and the Middle East. The students performed in a closing concert this month.

Knysh also worked with the school's third-grade music teachers to teach students about rhythm.

The artist in residence program is partially funded by a grant from the Suburban Philadelphia Arts in Education Consortium, which serves Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks Counties. The school's home and school association provides the rest of the funds.

Twenty students from Delaware County schools will be honored May 28 as winners of the annual poster contest sponsored by the county's Conservation District.

More than 250 students, from kindergarten to 12th grade, entered the contest, creating posters with the theme "Water Is Life."

Awards will be presented at a 3 p.m. ceremony at the County Council Public Meeting Room, on the first floor of the Government Center Building in Media.

Top finishers

Kindergarten and first grade:

1, Filip Kishta, Woodlyn Christian School. 2, Joshua Rockwell, Woodlyn Christian. 3, Amie Peterson, Woodlyn Christian. 4, Zachary Anderson, Amosland Elementary School in Morton.

Second and third grade:

1, Deanna Osmon, Hillcrest Elementary School in Drexel Hill. 2, Thomas Geveke, Parkside Elementary School. 3, Daniel McKenna, Norwood School. 4, Melody Young, Concord Elementary School.

Fourth through sixth grade:

1, Mark Spoor, Woodlyn Christian. 2, Jacquilyn Johnson, Our Lady of Charity School in Brookhaven. 3, Allison Cantando, St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield. 4, Colin Santoro, St. Bernadette of Lourdes School in Drexel Hill.

Seventh through ninth grade:

1, Emily McKenna, Norwood School. 2, Danny Swift, Sacred Heart School in Havertown. 3, Megan Curley, Woodlyn Christian. 4, Katie Lauser, Woodlyn Christian.

10th to 12th grade:

1, William Botinovch, Glen Mills School. 2, Matthew Nicewater, The Christian Academy in Brookhaven. 3, Shareaf Brooks, Glen Mills. 4, Quinnelius Neita, Glen Mills.

Christopher Furlong of Media received the Basil B. Sullivan '51 Scholarship at

Malvern Preparatory School

's Junior Class Awards Ceremony this month. The award recognizes academic merit and involvement in the school.

Six other juniors were honored at the ceremony.

Sophia Park of Upper Darby received an honorable-mention award in

Episcopal Academy

's annual Dora Khayatt Prize program. The sophomore at the Merion high school was honored for her work with large-scale Asian calligraphy.

The awards program, established in 1990, memorializes Khayatt, a painter and wife of the late John Plant. Plant is former chairman of the Episcopal Academy Classics Department.

- Ed Mahon