The small chapel of the St. James School’s former church building, which hosts the morning meeting for 16 fifth-graders, features a civil rights poster, a whiteboard explaining the anatomy of Beethoven’s symphonies, a display on Algeria, and a sweet potato, for the Vegetable, Herb or Fruit of the Week program (last week, oregano took the stage).

The intensive and diverse staff-managed curriculum at this West Allegheny middle school on Clearfield Avenue, now about halfway through its inaugural year, is evident. But at a Thursday morning gathering for school staff and supporters, the crucial roles of several dedicated volunteers were also obvious.

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