Northern Connection Magazine

09/01/2025

🍂✨ The September issue of Northern Connection is here! ✨🍂

This month's features include:
✨Passavant Hospital Foundation Honoring a Legacy of Caring in Our Community. Read about the eight outstanding honorees who have devoted decades of service, care, and leadership to UPMC Passavant and the community.

Also featured in this issue:
🍁Fall Happenings 🍁Health & Wellness 🍁Back-to-School and so much more.

Follow this link >> https://isu.pub/DRSV3tB to read the entire issue, pick up a copy for our hundreds of distribution locations, or look for the magazine in your mailbox!

08/29/2025

🌊✨ Chasing Waterfalls Near Pittsburgh? ✨🌊

Did you know that some of the most stunning waterfalls are just a short drive from Pittsburgh? From the iconic Cucumber Falls at Ohiopyle State Park to the colorful Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls, there’s a cascade waiting to refresh your weekend adventures!

Whether you want a peaceful hike, a perfect photo spot, or a quick nature escape close to the city, this list of 10 must-see waterfalls offers something for every nature lover.

Ready to plan your next outdoor adventure?

👉 Click the link to read the full article and discover these beautiful waterfalls near Pittsburgh

Tucked into the rolling hills and forested ridges of western Pennsylvania, a surprising number of beautiful waterfalls are within a short drive of Pittsburgh. These natural wonders offer serene hikes, perfect photo ops, and a refreshing escape from city life. Whether you’re looking for a day trip ...

08/28/2025

🍹✨ The Hugo Spritz: Your New Go-To Summer Cocktail ✨🍹

Still enjoying those warm summer days and evenings? The Hugo Spritz is a refreshingly light and bubbly cocktail that’s perfect poolside or on the deck. Originating from the Italian Alps, this spritz swaps the classic bitter orange liqueur for delicate elderflower, creating a floral, lightly sweet drink with lower alcohol than wine.

Ingredients:
1 oz elderflower liqueur (like St. Germain)
4 oz chilled Prosecco
2 oz chilled club soda
Lime slices & mint leaves for garnish

Mix it up for yourself or batch it for your next gathering, and if you prefer no alcohol, a mocktail version works beautifully!

👉 Click the link to read the full recipe and tips:

It may be August, but we still have plenty of warm weather ahead. Summer afternoons by the pool and evenings on the deck call for a refreshing, light, and effervescent cocktail. We love the Hugo Spritz for exactly this purpose.

08/28/2025

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08/27/2025

📚✨ The School Year Time Machine ✨📚

There’s something magical about the start of a new school year, the fresh pencils, new backpacks, and the excitement of seeing which friends you'll have in class. For many parents, it’s a mix of nostalgia and anticipation as their kids grow and take on new challenges.

Emily King reflects on these bittersweet moments, from childhood memories to cheering on her own children as they navigate new routines and adventures. It’s a reminder to celebrate every step along the way.

Wishing all families a fantastic start to the school year filled with fun, friendship, and growth!

👉 Click below to read the full article and get inspired for this new chapter:

I love New Years resolutions. While some people moan and groan at the “new year, new me” social media posts and flocks of newbies at the gym, I love setting goals and the wishful thinking that I’ll actually accomplish them. I’m still working on replacing my Diet Pepsi addiction with water . ...

08/25/2025

✏️ Back-to-school chaos is real… but what if we made it magical?

From Russian flowers to Germany’s beloved Schultüte, families around the world have special ways of celebrating the first day of school. In this heartfelt piece, one mother shares her own family traditions, and reminds us how meaningful the little things can be.

Whether it’s a favorite dinner or a symbolic gift, creating joyful moments on the first day can leave lasting memories.

📚✨ Ready for a fresh perspective on back-to-school season?

👉 Click the link to read the full article and start your own tradition today

Let’s be honest, we are all dreading back to school. Rushing, nagging, Ubering the kids around, quick meals, ugh—its exhausting even thinking about it. And like many of you, I still don't understand why schools must start in August. Would it hurt anyone to start after Labor Day? C’mon. Growing...

08/22/2025

🥤 Quench Your Thirst with Summer Drinks Trivia! ☀️

Beat the heat with a sip of something refreshing, and a splash of fun trivia! From good old H2O to nostalgic Kool-Aid, smoothies, iced lattes, and even cocktails, there's something for every tastebud this summer.

🍋 Get fun facts, drink ideas, and test your beverage knowledge with a thirst-quenching trivia challenge!

How many can you answer correctly? 👀

Whether you're blending a smoothie, sipping a spritzer, or mixing up a Shirley Temple for the kids, this article will leave you refreshed and smiling.

👉 Click the link to read the full article in Northern Connection Magazine

The heat is on during the dog days of summer, and it brings plenty of thirst! But fear not, there's a world of exciting thirst-quenchers waiting to soothe your palate and keep you hydrated.

08/21/2025

Passavant Hospital Foundation invites you to JOIN US for the Tenth Annual Legacy of Caring Gala!

Sam A. Buffer Jr., MD
Judi Dragun, BSN, RN, CSRN
Terri-Ann Gizienski, MD, MPH
Patti Massa
Mary E. Miller, LPN
Nicole Santucci, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Tad D. Scheri, MD
Amy C. Thompson, MSN, RN, NPD-BC

Passavant Hospital Foundation invites you to JOIN US for the Tenth Annual Legacy of Caring Gala!

Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh - Cranberry
910 Sheraton Drive | Mars, PA 16046

Evening Schedule
5:30 PM Cocktail Reception
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Legacy of Caring Awards

Tickets
$175 per person
$1,750 per Table of 10 Guests
$2,500 per Table of 10 Guests with Full-Page Program Ad
$150 for UPMC Passavant Staff/Volunteer Tickets

Click the Link to Get Your Tickets Now!: https://passavanthospitalfoundation.org/events/2025/9/18/10th-Annual-Legacy-of-Caring-Gala

Sponsorship Opportunities are Available

Contact Anthony R. Savannah via email or Call 412-748-5788

08/20/2025

FCAHS Student Named Coolidge Scholar, One of Only Five Nationwide! 🎓

Congratulations to Fox Chapel Area High School’s Ulyana Kubini, who has earned the prestigious Coolidge Scholarship! Out of nearly 5,000 applicants, she is one of just five students in the entire country to receive this full-ride presidential scholarship.

Her achievements span academics, public policy, research, entrepreneurship, and international service, and her future is incredibly bright.

👏 Way to go, Ulyana!

📖 Learn more about her incredible journey and what this honor means in the latest issue of Northern Connection Magazine.

🔗 Click the link to read the full article:

Ulyana Kubini, a junior for the 2024–2025 school year at Fox Chapel Area High School, has been named a winner of the prestigious Coolidge Scholarship. The full-ride presidential scholarship, which covers four years of tuition, room, board, and expenses, can be used to pursue undergraduate studies ...

08/20/2025

✨ Beyond First Day Jitters: Helping Kids Start the School Year with Confidence ✨

A new school year means fresh starts, new friends, and endless possibilities — but it can also bring anxiety and pressure for perfection. Many kids carry hidden nerves about fitting in, getting everything right, and facing the unknown.

Elisabeth Plutko from Revelations Counseling & Wellness shares five simple, practical steps to help children feel grounded, confident, and ready to tackle the school year with resilience and self-kindness:

1. Normalize the nerves
2. Practice the first day routine
3. Celebrate effort over perfection
4. Teach calming skills
5. Keep conversations open

Let’s empower our kids to embrace growth and enjoy their journey, imperfections and all!

👉 Click the link to read the full article and learn how to support your child this school year

Maybe last year wasn’t their year… or maybe it was the best one yet.Regardless of where the last chapter ended, the start of the school year brings a clean slate: new faces, changing routines, sharpened pencils, and the promise of fresh beginnings.

08/18/2025

🎓 Fox Chapel Students Shine Bright!

Fox Chapel Area High School is celebrating academic excellence in a big way!

👏 Twenty-seven recent graduates were named 2025 Top Scholars and honored at a special banquet in June.

🌟 Meanwhile, twenty-seven rising seniors earned national recognition as National Merit Scholarship qualifiers, ranking among the top 50,000 PSAT/NMSQT scorers in the nation.

These students are setting the bar high, and making their school community proud.

📖 Discover the full list of honorees and more about their achievements in the latest Northern Connection Magazine.

👉 Click the link to read the full article:

Twenty-seven Fox Chapel Area High School recent graduates were named 2025 Top Scholars.