for 15 years to 2897 Washington Road in
Peters Township. The new, larger space
has more room for service and parts and
bigger lots for new and used vehicles. For
details, visit billgrayvolvo.com or 412-344-
0100. SUPERINTENDENT Go-round Do
you have your scorecard ready? Because
this one can get confusing….The Mt.

Lebanon School Board is searching for a
new superintendent after John Allison an-
nounced in March he will be taking over
the helm of the Wichita Public School
District USD 259, a district of 50,000
students. Mt. Lebanon School District
spokeswoman Cissy Bowman says Alli-
son will remain here through the end of
the school year. He is just completing his
second year of a four-year contract.

But his departure means the district will
have had five superintendents in seven
years: Glenn Smartschan, Margery Sable,
George Wilson, John Allison and a player
to be named by this summer.

Allison came to Mt. Lebanon schools
nearly two years ago from a suburban
Dallas school district, after several years
of rapid change in Mt. Lebanon’s ad-
ministration. Prior to Allison, the district
had three other superintendents: Glenn
Smartschan retired in 2003 after a long
career with the district. The board unani-
mously chose Margery Sable to succeed
him in July 2003 but her tenure never
took hold.

Sable and the board agreed to part in
2004 with Sable netting about a half mil-
lion dollars to buy out the remainder of
her five-year contract with no specific
public explanation for her departure.

Assistant Superintendent George Wil-
son took over as acting superintendent
in 2004 and was named superintendent
in July 2005 but retired in 2007. After a
national search that included interviews
with key community members, the board
unanimously selected Allison, who grew
up in Kansas, as did his wife.

“This was a very difficult decision for
me to make,” Allison says. “Mt. Lebanon
is a wonderful community and a very spe-
cial school district.”
At press time, Bowman says the board
would immediately begin a search for a
replacement, despite a fairly grueling high
school renovation project looming in the
future. www.mtlebanon.org 17



Reaching Out—to Teens
YOuNg WrITEr’S INSTITuTE
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Fiction • poetry • memoir
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Mellon Middle School—Grades 4-8
June 22-26 (Mon-Fri) &
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9 am -12:30 pm
One Extended day:
June 26 , 9 am -3 pm
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July 6 - July 17
(Monday through Friday)
Visit our website www.wpawritingproject.org for
more information and a printable application or
call 412-624-6557 or email: wpwp@pitt.edu
R The Balancing Act
emember your childhood? If you’re over
35, it was probably filled with play time,
pick-up games and imagining shapes
in the clouds. It probably wasn’t filled
with back-to-back organized activities that are
making many of today’s overscheduled chil-
dren feel overwhelmed and pressured by the
need to excell. Well-meaning parents provide
their children with a multitude oif opportunities
they never had with the goal of keeping them
out of trouble, making sure they’re happy and
busy if they can’t be home themselves and
eventually, getting them into the very best col-
leges. This frenzied pace, however, may not be
giving our kids the very best. Here’s why.

Parents
K ids N eed ‘N othing T ime ’ Children need
unstructured hours to dream, play, and even
get a little bored. For young children, recent
scientific research supports the theory that
unstructured play is the single most important
activity in aiding development. Kids of all ages
need time to grow as individuals. As family
therapist Carleton Kendrick writes, “Kids whose
lives are so tightly structured and scheduled
are not learning to feel comfortable on their
own, free to pursue their natural curiosities
and... encouraged to become resourceful, self-
reliant, and resilient.” Moreover, overscheduled
young kids can too often become burned-out
teens, dropping out of favorite activities and
unable to entertain themselves.

F amily T ime is I mportant , P art I Family time is
the glue that binds family members together.

Rituals and traditions are times to look forward
to and cherish in years to come. These can
be as simple as regular dinners, special game
nights, movie Sundays or pancake Saturday
mornings. Angela Wiley, of the University of
Illinois, writes that such rituals create predict-
ability and a sense of connection to the family.

Relaxing together promotes communication,
as kids are more apt to open up during these
windows of down time. Family time gives you
a chance to teach values to your kids and
boost their confidence, while overscheduling
can send the message that they need self-
improvement. L imit T he N umber of A ctivities Each child and
family situation is different, but a general rec-
ommendation is to limit children to two activi-
ties at a time, according to Wiley. Talk to your
18 mtl • april 2009
children about their preferences and find out if
they feel overscheduled. Watch them for signs
of emotional stress; listen for complaints about
feeling pressured. Watch for physical signs
as well, such as trouble eating or sleeping, or
unusual fatigue. Sit down as a family and talk
out what activities to keep or drop, picking
the solution that’s best for all. Don’t forget that
parents need downtime, too. Overscheduled
children often mean busier grownups, and we
know too well that tired, grumpy adults don’t
make the best parents.

Kids
T oo M uch P ressure You’re probably getting
it from everywhere—the pressure to do more,
achieve more, be more. You’re probably busy
all the time, but you also need to allow yourself
time to slow down. We all need time to relax
and just be ourselves, and childhood is a time
of self-discovery. You need time to kick back
and reflect on who you are and who you want
to be. Remember, it’s OK to say no to activities
or events. It’s hard when friends, teachers or
parents are the ones who are asking. Just let
them know how you feel. Besides, spreading
yourself too thin won’t give you time to excel at
what you truly enjoy.

P ay A ttention T o Y our O wn M ind and B ody
If you’re overscheduled, your own mind and
body will tell you. Pay attention if you feel tired
all the time, or if you have trouble sleeping or
eating. Pay attention if you feel anxious, over-
whelmed, depressed or irritable. You may be
doing too much. If so, cut back.

F amily T ime is I mportant , P art 2 Family time
is important for the whole family, including chil-
dren and teenagers. Give it a try. You might be
surprised at how much fun it can be. Introduce
your parents to things you like that would be
fun as a group, like a Wii tournament night, or
movie time with your favorite DVDs.

As in everything, it’s all about balance.

Outreach Teen & Family Services provides confiden-
tial guidance for teens and their families. Log on to
www.outreachteen.org, call 412-561-5405, visit
the Outreach offices at 666 Washington Road or
e-mail kjohnson@outreachteen.org.