2013-14 Annual Report - North Hills School District

North Hills School District
2013-14 Annual Report
Mission
Vision
Values
The mission of the North Hills School
District is to excel at educating and
preparing each student to become a
responsible, contributing member of
society by providing a
caring and an academically
challenging environment.
Rooted in our proud tradition of
excellence, the North Hills School
District will be recognized
as one of America’s
great public school districts.
• Demonstrate genuine care, concern and
fondness for students.
• Adopt a client-centered focus - students come
first, followed closely by the needs of their
parents.
• Develop and nurture healthy, productive and
cooperative relationships with colleagues.
• Communicate regularly and clearly with
clients, their families and the community.
• Demand quality - high expectations will yield
high achievement.
• Create and cultivate a districtwide Learning
Community.
• Benchmark programs, services and students’
results against the best.
• Encourage innovation and risk-taking.
• Establish community and regional
partnerships.
Dear North Hills families,
This dedication is evidenced in the active and engaged support we receive for our innovative,
educational programs, the capacity crowds that fill our auditoriums for our student drama
productions and music concerts and the fervent fan base enjoyed by our many successful
athletic teams.
Through this unified mindset, we are able to offer Allegheny County’s only Academic
Community Connections program as part of the Academies at North Hills, cutting-edge
technology, peer-led professional development, an innovative and successful Community
Partnership program, more than $30,000 in charitable donations to various organizations
and many other outstanding undertakings and achievements. I encourage you to read
through this year’s Annual Report to learn more about these programs and accomplishments
and many more at North Hills!
I am very proud that we truly are One District and One Community with One Mission!
Sincerely,
Scan to go “Behind the Scenes
with Dr. Mannarino” in my new
superintendent’s blog
for a unique view of NHSD!
A Few Words from Dr. Mannarino
When I arrived in North Hills School District in 2002 as a high school assistant principal, I
immediately realized the connection felt and the unity exhibited by our entire community.
In North Hills, I am proud that not only our families of current students, but also lifelong
Ross and West View community members, alumni and business owners are invested in this
outstanding district.
“I think it is a wonderful opportunity
for students to explore career paths
through the Academies, and I am
honored to be a part of the Law and
Government Academy.”
- Judge Judith Ference Olson
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Class of 1975
Advisory Boards
offer networking
opportunities
with and advice
from industry
professionals
Academies and Advisory Boards
Advisory Board members include community members and alumni from
organizations such as Aramark, First National Bank, University of Pittsburgh and
Heritage Valley Health System and elected officials representing the Pennsylvania
Superior Court and House of Representatives and Allegheny County.
The North Hills Academic Community
Connections program is like nothing else
in any area high school. Created this year
with a vision to increase involvement and
partnerships between the Ross and West
View communities, North Hills alumni and
our schools and students, the program allows
North Hills to extend our students’ learning
experiences beyond our classroom walls.
For the first time, students involved with
the six Academies at North Hills had the
opportunity to interface with members of
special Advisory Boards through the program.
Tied to a specific academy, each Advisory
Board is comprised of established groups of
professionals and alumni from our area who
work in the industries our students hope to
pursue upon graduation.
More than 40 members of local and regional
arts and communication, business and finance,
engineering, law and government, medicine
and world affairs communities volunteered to
aid our students in being career and collegeready.
Advisory Board members shared insight on
courses that would best serve students in given
careers, career experiences - both pleasant and
difficult - and advice for future success. The
meetings also served as useful networking
events.
Through these partnerships with local
businesses and organizations, the program
aims to provide North Hills students with
opportunities for job shadowing, internships,
career fairs and guest speakers through
advanced studies with colleges and universities.
The future holds an expansion of the program,
and we invite area companies and businesses
to participate and make a positive impact on
our students’ futures.
95
“The Academy for Law and Government has allowed me to
enhance my knowledge of the systems of American government
and justice while obtaining practical experiences with
professionals in the field.”
- Stanley Marciniak
students participated
in the prestigious
Academies at North
Hills this year
U.S. Senate Youth Program Pennsylvania Representative
Class of 2014 President
What are the Academies?
North Hills was the first district in the
area to launch academic academies in the
2012-13 school year. As academy members,
students have the opportunity to explore
career fields and develop transferable
workplace skills through a focused
curricular track that allows students
to participate in field trips, shadowing
programs, internships and compete for
academy-specific scholarships. Participants
are immersed in authentic content that
mirrors undergraduate courses at the
collegiate level.
Academic academies at North Hills High
School guide students along a choice of
coursework that closely aligns with their
career goals and interests while exposing
them to a cohort of peers with similar
interests. The academies are designed to
appeal to a wide range of student interests
and offer a myriad of courses created on
a continuum of academic rigor. Students
who have a talent for and deep interest
in the focused curriculum of a particular
academy are those who should apply.
The Academies at North Hills
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Academy for Arts and Communication
The Academy for Business and Finance
The Academy for Engineering
The Academy for Law and Government
The Academy for Medicine
The Academy for World Affairs
Throughout their high school experience, academy
students will continue to have the opportunity to take
elective courses outside their academy focus. Students are
encouraged to continue to enroll in coursework outside
their field of interest in order to have a diversified high
school experience.
Exposure to the academies begins during freshman
year, and students can begin formal study during their
sophomore or junior years. Those who complete the
program will be recognized during their commencement
exercises.
“The class ‘iPad Technology for Teachers of Elementary Students’ provides
hands-on professional development, so teachers in all curricular areas can
immediately implement technology to meet individual student needs in the
classroom.”
Learning from One Another
- Elizabeth Spicer
McIntyre Elementary Librarian/K-12 Curriculum Leader for Libraries
Each member of our community strives to
offer the best education for all of our students.
For North Hills teachers that means going back
to the classroom themselves multiple times
each year throughout their careers to learn
the most effective and latest in educational
practices.
This year, more than 50 teachers at the
elementary and secondary levels spent
Saturday mornings learning about educational
applications for iPads from their peers who
have had success in their classrooms utilizing
the most popular tablet technology in
education.
McIntyre Elementary librarian Elizabeth Spicer
and West View Elementary librarian Stefanie
Tumbas taught a class to 33 elementary
teachers. Many teachers took the information
presented on the plethora of educational
apps and available tools such as QR codes and
integrated the technology into their classrooms
to reinforce basic skills such as letter sounds
and math facts, introduce research skills,
project creation and production and gauge
understanding of topics.
At West View Elementary, second-grade
teachers Meghan Amayo and Kathy Weber
incorporated iPads into their classrooms to
teach students about Presidents Day, Ellis
Island and plant characteristics. These lessons
found students:
• using a FaceTalk app to record a
student-drafted presidential speech.
• referencing a Leaf app to learn about
plants before making a trifold brochure
with flora details.
• researching information about
and hearing audio from Ellis Island
immigrants to learn what it was like to
arrive in the United States.
McIntyre second-grade teacher Michelle Kress
implemented her new skills by creating new
lessons in mathematics and literacy that had
students:
• accessing selected online resources
through a teacher-created QR code to
complete research on rainforest animals.
• completing a set of teacher-created story
problems about bar models and scanning
a QR code to check for correct answers.
“Incorporating the technology allowed for self-pacing throughout the lesson and also gave the
students the confidence of knowing right away if their answer was correct,” said Kress. “The lesson
was highly successful, and the students really enjoyed the technology.”
High school and middle school educators learned from ninth-grade biology teachers Jackie
Karenbauer and Jennifer DiPasquale, who have won multiple awards for their use of technology in
engaging and innovative ways in the classroom.
From their experiences implementing a successful, bookless biology course, they gave practical
advice and helpful tips to their fellow teachers for:
• utilizing technology and iPads based on examples from usage in their biology classrooms.
• housing information electronically on Blackboard, an online resource.
• incorporating apps that work across different disciplines as well as finding apps for their
discipline.
100%
of North Hills libraries
have iPads available for
students to
check out
North Hills teachers
found incorporating
iPads into their
classrooms increased
participation and
excitement during
lessons and promoted
higher-order thinking
skills in students.
North Hills Junior High School
officially was renamed North Hills
Middle School this school year.
The building now houses only
seventh- and eighth-grade students
for the first time in district history.
Limiting the building to middle
school-aged students fosters an
environment where students and
staff can work toward academic
excellence with a new National
Junior Honor Society chapter,
social equity, age-appropriate
responsiveness to learning and
organizational support and
processes.
The New North Hills Middle School
“Our vision truly is ‘inspiring all
students to achieve their very
best’ on a daily basis,” said Beth
Williams, North Hills Middle
School principal. “As we continue
to update our curriculum based
upon the needs identified by
student data, we strive to provide our
students with the best possible academic
and social experiences.”
Moving forward with that mindset, the
entire middle school staff worked together
to create and reinforce teaming in both
the seventh- and eighth-grade levels. In the
teaming concept, grades are subdivided
into smaller learning communities or teams
where relationships between students and
teachers can be established and where
more individualized attention can be
given to all learners. According to Johns
Hopkins University School of Education,
teaming leads to greater parental
contact, increases job satisfaction for
educators and is associated with higher
student achievement.
Building administration implemented
Schoolwide Positive Support plans
that address development differences
in students between the building’s
two grade levels. In the same theme,
the middle school moved away from
Curriculum Night activities to an
Academic Review format, where teachers
plan focused student/parent/teacher
conferences to examine a student’s
academic performance and data based
on each individual’s needs.
Because of the new bell schedule with altered start and
dismissal times, middle school students can expand
their learning during a new 30-minute activity period at
the end of each school day. In addition to eliminating
students’ missing academic time for early dismissals, the
period allows students to join different activities and
clubs or work with teachers and peers for additional
academic help.
Most exciting for teachers, students and staff is the
introduction of teaching lessons and activities that
bring together entire grades or the whole building for
focused learning. These unique, daylong cross-curricular
events included a Pittsburgh Pirates Day, when seventhgraders incorporated social studies by choosing their
favorite Pirates player and plotting longitude and
latitude of the player’s hometown. In English, students
participated in a guided reading on Roberto Clemente,
and during math, they graphed Pirates players’ batting
averages.
Another event aided middle school students in their
preparations for the annual PSSA exams with a
schoolwide activity themed around the young adult
bestsellers from “The Hunger Games” series. Students
were divided into districts and participated in 12 or
13 special lessons that ended with quizzes and overall
winners taking home Kindle Fire HD devices.
“I like Literati Readers because
reading is my favorite pastime. Doing
activities (related to books) and
hearing the opinions of others has
always interested me.”
- Rebecca Yu
Class of 2019
25
clubs and activities
were offered to NHMS
students during the new
daily activity period
Technology has undeniably changed the face of education and classrooms in the course of only
a few years. Only 20 years ago, less than one in three schools had internet access. In 2014, it
would be hard to imagine educating students for a successful career and future beyond North
Hills without the latest tools, web-based software, social media, videos and educational materials
available online with a simple click.
The New North
Hills Hills
Middle
School
Technology
in North
Classrooms
At North Hills, we are proud to offer our students the latest and best in technology providing
them with access to devices such as the 3D printer pictured below and products that mirror
those they use outside of school. It is vitally important for schools to teach students in a way
that complements how they learn at home as well as the invaluable literacy information skills
necessary to gain success in our technology-driven society.
90% of U.S. students
under the
age of 18
have access to
mobile technology
in their everyday lives
Components of a
21st Century Classroom
3,100
COMPUTERS in North Hills School District are nearly at a 1:1
ratio for district students across all buildings.
iPADS in the classrooms help students become more engaged
in classroom material by providing access to more than 20,000
educational apps and more than 50,000 free lectures, videos and
iBooks made specially for certain subject areas.
300
200
100+
30
100s
500
INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS, PROJECTORS AND
DOCUMENT CAMERAS are fixtures in all district classrooms
at the elementary and secondary levels allowing students and
teachers to create interactive lessons, content and presentations
incorporating many facets of educational technology.
WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS provide reliable Wi-Fi service districtwide.
The Online Academy @ North Hills offers more than 100 ONLINE
COURSES to students at all grade levels allowing access to a fully digital
curriculum or a blended option of traditional and online coursework.
INTEGRATED SPEAKER SYSTEMS allow teachers to better project their
voices to students using a lightweight microphone to overcome background
noise, poor room acoustics and hearing impairments.
SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS provide students and teachers with the
appropriate, targeted and best software for specific subject areas.
School Performance Profile
While schools previously received a No Child
Left Behind designation under the federal
education act, Pennsylvania public schools
now will receive an academic performance
score. The new School Performance Profile
(SPP) follows the commonwealth’s receipt of
a No Child Left Behind waiver from the U.S.
Department of Education.
An online public portal, the Pennsylvania
School Performance Profile provides
demographic data, academic data and an
academic performance score for every public
school in the state. Utilizing many more data
points allows the North Hills community to
obtain a more complete view of the district’s
academic strength. The profile provides a tool
for district officials to acknowledge areas of
success and address areas that require more
focus to increase student achievement.
Out of 119 Allegheny County
Elementary Schools
16th
Ross
Elementary
A perfect score totals 100 points.
Academic Achievement
Highcliff Elementary – 90.3
McIntyre Elementary – 91.4
Ross Elementary – 93.8
West View Elementary – 86.0
North Hills Middle School – 78.2
North Hills High School – 85.6
The SPP academic performance score is based
not only on test scores but also many other
factors that signal student achievement. A
student growth factor measures how well
students are progressing toward proficiency in
state assessments. Graduation and attendance
rates, degree of rigorous course offerings at
the secondary level and other factors also are
measured.
These elements come together to create
the academic performance score. A score
is reported for each school and is based on
indicators that define a high performing school
in Pennsylvania. The building-level score will be
part of an Educator Effectiveness System that
will be used to evaluate teachers and principals
starting in the 2014-15 school year.
27th
McIntyre
Elementary
33rd
Highcliff
Elementary
Strategies
for Success and
increased student
achievement
In order to build upon North Hills School
District’s successes and strengthen areas
where students are in need of improvement,
the district is undertaking several new
approaches to close the achievement gap for
all students and those who are historically
underperforming students - both important
aspects of the School Performance Profile.
Mathematics – Elementary
• A new research-based elementary
mathematics curriculum, Math in Focus,
has been implemented to teach students
to think at higher levels and better prepare
students for standardized assessments.
Mathematics – Secondary Level
• The district will implement new curricula
and purchase updated materials and
resources to better prepare students to
think critically and at higher levels.
• An Algebra I Keystone Exam remediation
course was implemented to assist students
who did not meet proficiency on the
Algebra I Keystone Exam.
Science – Middle School (Grade 8)
• The eighth-grade science curriculum and
educational strategies have been revised
and readjusted to target specific standards
with the appropriate amount of depth
required for success.
Reading – Elementary
• An elementary literacy coach works
directly with all elementary special
education teachers to provide ongoing
professional development on research-based
reading instructional strategies and the
interpretation of assessment data.
• The Director of Pupil Services and the
elementary literacy coach attend each
monthly elementary principals meeting
to provide updates on the literacy coach’s
work with district special education
teachers in order to constantly target
needed areas.
• The elementary literacy coach works with
each long-term substitute teacher on the
research-based guided reading approach to
reading instruction.
• Principals observe and evaluate teachers at
the primary grades to look specifically for
the guided reading approach.
• A new writing curriculum is being piloted
this year that better integrates reading
with writing. Research indicates a strong
connection between reading and writing
proficiency.
Reading – Middle School
• A new comprehensive professional
development model is being implemented
for middle school teachers to promote more
secondary research-based reading strategies
across the curriculum and in reading
courses.
• The elementary literacy coach and the
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary
Education meet with the middle school
literacy arts teachers on a monthly basis to
share best practices in reading instruction.
Reading/Literature – High School
• The curriculum has been realigned to a
more comprehensive and rigorous set of
objectives and standards to better prepare
students for the Literature Keystone Exam.
2013-14 Millage Rates
Budget, Finances and Millage Rates
Allegheny County’s Nine Northern Area School Districts
North Hills School District strives each year
to deliver a high-caliber, quality education
for each and every student, while adhering to
fiscally responsible ideals.
Those efforts continued with the 2013-14
budget. The 2013-14 budget totals $69,747,422,
which reflects a 1.6 percent increase over the
2012-13 budget.
The budget included a 20 percent millage
decrease of 4.2 mills. This decrease stems
directly from new property assessment
numbers determined by Allegheny County that
showed increased property values in North
Hills School District.
5th
lowest millage rate of
41 Allegheny County
suburban school
districts
At 17.06 mills, North Hills has the fifth lowest
millage rate among Allegheny County’s 41
suburban school districts and lowest among the
nine northern area school districts.
The new median home value in North Hills
School District after property reassessments is
$135,000, a rise from $109,000 in previous years.
The median home property tax bill decreased $14
with the 2013-14 budget.
In the budget, the district saved $316,000 this
school year year because of the elimination of
six district school buses and implementation of
new arrival and dismissal times at all district
buildings.
In 2013-14, several new initiatives enhanced
North Hills’ top-notch programs and facilities:
• Updated wireless and networking
infrastructure to improve connectivity and
support new devices and current technology
utilized by students and staff.
• Nearly 100 iPads and 52 laptops for use in
school libraries districtwide.
• A total of 478 laptops for English, art and
science classrooms for the high school and
middle school to replace outdated devices
purchased seven years ago.
• The district’s first autism support classroom
housed at Ross Elementary. The classroom
is structured to meet the needs of special
education students on the autism spectrum
who are in need of extensive sensory,
communication, behavioral and social
interaction support.
• Security enhancements including new
cameras and entry equipment and software
at West View Elementary and on the
secondary schools campus.
• Math in Focus curriculum for all
elementary grades that utilizes Singapore
Math techniques.
Sixty-five seniors and recent graduates were
named AP Scholars by the College Board after
their outstanding performances on the collegelevel Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
Advanced Placement & National Merit Scholars
In North Hills, 235 students took 449 exams in
May 2013 and 81.7 percent scored 3 or above on
the exams’ five-point scale to earn college credit
and set a record high for the district. North
Hills students outperformed their peers across
Pennsylvania as only 68 percent of students scored
3 or above. Around the world, only 22 percent of
2.2 million students tested performed at a level to
merit various AP Scholar recognitions.
More than 26 percent of the Class of 2013 scored a
3 or above on at least one AP exam at North Hills.
The 65 AP Scholars account for almost 28 percent
of all district students who participated in the AP
exam program.
North Hills students earned the following AP
honors:
• 4 students were honored as National AP
Scholars for earning an average score of at
least 4 on all AP exams taken and scores of
4 or higher on eight or more exams. These
students are among the nation’s most elite
academic performers.
• 18 students were named AP Scholars with
Distinction after receiving an average score of
3.5 or higher on all AP exams taken and scores
of 3 or higher on five or more exams. • 10 additional students were named AP
Scholars with Honor after receiving an
average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams
taken or scores of 3 or higher on four or more
exams.
• 37 students were named AP Scholars by
receiving a score of 3 or higher on three or
more AP exams.
Most of the nation’s colleges and universities
award credit, advanced placement or both based
on successful performance on the AP Exams. More
than 3,200 institutions award a full year’s credit
(sophomore standing) to students presenting a
sufficient number of qualifying grades in the 34
AP exams available. North Hills also partners with
various area colleges and universities to provide
14 College in High School (CHS) courses offering
collegiate-level material and and the opportunity
to earn college credits and receive a grade on a
university transcript.
4
National
AP Scholars
are among
the nation’s most elite
academic performers
North Hills
High School
consistently has
been chosen by the
Washington Post as one
of the country’s Most
Challenging High Schools
for its rigorous
curriculum.
High School students are
offered the opportunity
to earn college credit in
28
AP and CHS
Courses
National Merit Scholars
This school year, seniors Anthony Sciulli and
Nathan Spear were recognized as 2014 National
Merit Scholarship Program finalists, and
Jamie Ramsey and Gabe Stanton were named
National Merit Commended Students.
“I am extremely proud of these high school
students. With this honor, they are ranked
among the nation’s top academic performers,”
said John Kreider, North Hills High School
principal.
The National Merit program is an academic
competition for recognition and scholarships.
High school students enter the National Merit
Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Sciulli and Spear were two of only 16,000 seniors selected for the nationwide honor from 1.5 million students
in 22,000 high schools. Nationwide, finalists represent less than 1 percent of high school seniors and their
ranks include the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
SAT Scores Exceed State and National Averages
North Hills High School students continue to outperform their state and national peers on the SAT exam.
Critical reading scores climbed to 510 - 20 points higher than state peers and 20 points higher than the
national average. Writing scores soared to 510, while fellow students across the commonwealth and nation
averaged 30 points lower at average scores of 480. In the math portion, North Hills students scored an
average of 518 compared with state and national averages of 500 and 510. A total of 84 juniors are taking
advantage of the opportunity to complete an SAT Prep course during the course of their normal day.
Students use their PSAT scores to
identify strengths and weaknesses.
They work on an individual level
as well as in small-group and largegroup settings to improve their
test-taking skills. Taught by an
English teacher and a math teacher,
the course equips students with the
testing skills and strategies they need
to be successful on the SAT exam.
North Hills also provides access for
all students to the College Board’s
online SAT prep program. The
online course allows each student
to work at their own pace on their
own schedule and target individual
needs and personal goals through
interactive lessons and personalized
courses.
• Senior Stanley Marciniak was chosen
by Pennsylvania’s acting Secretary
of Education Carolyn Dumaresq as
one of only two students from across
the commonwealth to represent
Pennsylvania in the 52nd annual
United States Senate Youth Program,
a prestigious national program, in
Washington, D.C. along with 103
students from across the nation.
Student Achievements: Academics & Athletics
• North Hills High School started a Best
Buddies program. In the program,
people with and without disabilities
are given the chance to explore new
friendships and widen their social
circles. Each month, the buddies
partnered for a special activity or
field trip.
• Juniors Jessica Cooper,
Maria Melchiorre,
Andrew Soborowski,
Kelsey Toplak, Madeline
Wells and Helena Varys
were selected to attend
the Westinghouse
Science Honors Institute.
Andrew topped 601
students from 96 area
schools to notch the
11th highest score on the
event’s final exam.
• Ross Elementary
third-grade student
Ella Tominac-Ural
topped 17 other thirdgrade students from
throughout North Hills
School District to win the first North
Boroughs Rotary Club Spelling Bee and
advance to the Grand Finale Third-Grade
Spelling Bee.
• Junior Marie McConnell earned firstplace honors at the Pennsylvania
Junior Academy of Science regional
competition to advance to the state
competition.
• The Class of 2013 earned approximately
$2.8 million in scholarship awards, and
eight class members enlisted in various
branches of the military.
• North Hills School District students and
staff donated more than $35,000 to local and
national charitable organizations.
• Senior Gabe Stanton and juniors Kelsey Toplak
and Andrew Soborowski placed first in the
Duquesne University Academic Challenge
topping 15 other teams.
• The high school Foreign Language Department
was recognized with a Bronze Globe Award
from the Pennsylvania State Modern Language
Association as part of the organization’s PEP
Awards. The awards program seeks to showcase
high-quality high school language programs
and promote best educational practices used by
those programs.
• Junior Jacob Gettens
was awarded the
Congress-Bundestag
Congressional
Scholarship for study
abroad. He is one of only
250 students recognized
nationally with the
scholarship following a
rigorous interview and
application process.
• Senior Curtis Sobien
and sophomore Luke
Melcher were part
of a team that won
the FIRST Robotics
Greater Pittsburgh
Regional Competition
and advanced to the
FIRST Robotics National
Championship.
• More than 1,400 high school students
worked together to shoot “Wake Me
Up,” a lip dub video directed by senior
Nick Ross and filmed by senior Michael
Joos. The video garnered national media
attention and more than 122,000 online
views.
• Highcliff Elementary students and staff
created a Wall of Heroes to display
photos of veterans in their families or
messages of appreciation to veterans on
individual paper bricks.
• Ross Elementary students commemorated
Children’s Grief Awareness Day. Students
created butterflies that were strung through
the building’s hallways, wore blue attire and
formed a butterfly shape on the stadium field
to snap a commemorative photo.
• “The Arrowhead,” the high school’s student
newspaper, went online to allow quicker
turnaround for stories resulting in a more
timely news source and integration of social
media.
• Senior runner Mary Malone won a fourthplace medal in the 3,000 meters at the 2014
Pennsylvania Track and Field Association
Championships. She was named to the 2014
All-State Indoor Track and Field Team as an
honorable mention.
• Senior diver Noah Bostick brought home a
bronze medal, and junior swimmer Brian
Lovasik placed fourth in the 200-yard Freestyle
and seventh 100-yard Freestyle at the PIAA
Swimming and Diving Championships.
• Senior Jonathan Avon placed third in the
160-pound weight class, and sophomore Gage
Curry placed sixth in the 106-pound weight
class at the PIAA Wrestling Championships.
• Senior Stanley Marciniak and junior Luke
Fabisiak were named the North Hills High
School Volunteers of the Year as part of the
2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
program and were honored in the Trib Total
Media Outstanding Young Citizen Program.
The programs recognize exemplary character,
academic achievements, leadership and
community service.
• High School Wind Ensemble was selected from hundreds of applicants to perform at the
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference. The selection is one of the top musical
honors in the state. The high school wind ensemble consists of 42 musicians in grades 9 to 12. All
ensemble members are selected through an audition process for the premier group.
• Sophomore Brandon Falcona won the Gold Key Award in the Alliance for Young Artists and
Writers competition for the Pittsburgh region, the competition’s highest honor, for his digital
art piece titled “Something in the Fields.” His piece advanced to the 2014 National Scholastic
Art & Writing Awards competition, where his artwork was judged alongside the best student
artwork in the United States.
• North Hills High School was one of only a few Allegheny County schools to be recognized with
one of the two designations bestowed by the Best Communities for Music Education program
overseen by the noted NAMM Foundation.
• Junior bass player Eric Meister was chosen to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators
Association All-State Orchestra.
• McIntyre Elementary third-grader Noah Reaoch
won runner-up honors in the Pittsburgh Piano
Teachers Association annual competition. Noah
composed an original piano piece entitled
“Waterfall” and was recognized with secondplace in the competition’s primary division.
Student Achievements: Arts
• Middle school students and freshmen
performed “The Wizard of Oz” as the winter
musical. It was seen by more than 2,000 local
theater fans over its three-night run.
• High school thespians performed “42nd Street”
as this year’s spring musical and the audience
participation drama “The Night of January 16th”
as the fall play.
• More than 115 musicians and vocalists were
selected to participate
in more than 12 honors
bands, choirs and
orchestras across the
region.
• Freshmen Luke
Belanger and Will
Huffmyer topped
hundreds of fellow
competitors in the
2014 Shakespeare
Monologue and Scene
Contest sponsored by
the Pittsburgh Public
Theater to be named
finalists and perform
in the contest’s finalist
showcase.
Alumni Notes
• Greg Krauland (Class of 1999) a lead
propulsion engineer with SpaceX
Corporation in Los Angeles, paid a
visit to West View Elementary, his
elementary alma mater, to teach
students about space, rockets and
engineering.
• Andy Mientus (Class of 2005)
was cast as Marius in a revival
production of “Les Miserables” on
Broadway.
• Maura Wahl (Class of 2005) presented North
Hills Middle School students and staff with
a framed American flag flown on July 4,
2012, on the forward operating base Shield
in Afghanistan’s Ghor province. Wahl was
stationed at the base that day during her
recent deployment in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom.
• Anthony Jones (Class of 2009) landed a
position as an Imagineer for the Walt
Disney Company working on the “Avatar”
expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
theme park.
• Debra Lam (Class of 1999) was named the
City of Pittsburgh’s Chief Innovation and
Performance Officer by Mayor Bill Peduto
after working on public policy and urbanplanning projects in cities in China, the
Philippines and Vietnam as well as London
and New York City.
• Jocelyn Brown (Class of 2006) was named
one of Forbes Magazine’s “30 under
30” in the science category. Jocelyn is a
senior program associate at Rice 360°:
Institute for Global Health Technologies
where she helped invent an affordable
ventilator for use by infants in the
developing world.
• Valerie Gatto (Class of 2007) was named
Miss Pennsylvania USA and competed to
be named Miss USA. Valerie visited West
View Elementary, the high school and
middle school to share her message of
following your dreams.
• Amanda Joos (Class of 2009) debuted
in her first professional role with the
Pittsburgh Opera. She sang the role of
Second Spirit Messenger in Mozart’s
“Magic Flute.”
• Leigh Ann Larkin (Class of 1998) starred
in “Harmony – A New Musical” in
Atlanta.
Gail Kowalski
Gail Kowalski, North Hills High School Class of 1973, and William
Newlin, West View High School Class of 1958, are the newest
honorees to receive the district’s annual Distinguished Alumni
Award.
North Hills High School
Class of 1973
Kowalski is the owner and president of Jewelry by Gail, Inc. based in
Nags Head, N.C. She is well-known across the nation for her awardwinning, custom jewelry designs worn by celebrities to some of the
country’s most glamorous events and awards shows. Stars such as
Eva Longoria, Minnie Driver and Vanessa Williams have worn
Kowalski’s original and unique designs on the red carpet at the
Academy Awards, the Emmys and the Golden Globes. Her jewelry
also frequently is featured in celebrity jewelry suites, where
stylists selected her original designs for their clients to wear at
every major award show. A collection of her designs has been
placed in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.
West View High School
Class of 1958
William Newlin
Kowalski has pioneered numerous metal-working techniques to
manipulate platinum and gold and has patented the Slip earring
design. Since 1977, she has been awarded some of the highest
honors and awards of excellence in the industry while growing
her business from a one-woman, one-room shop to a nationally
recognized and successful, two-story stand-alone retail store and
studio.
2014 Distinguished Alumni
Newlin is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur who has played
a vital role in keeping the local Pittsburgh economy growing
throughout the last four decades. He is the chairman of Newlin
Investment Company, which he founded in 2007. Newlin was
the executive vice president and chief administrative officer for
Dick’s Sporting Goods, chairman and chief executive officer for
Buchanan Ingersoll, chairman for Kennametal and chairman of
Plextronics.
He has been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from
the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association and named one of the
Top 50 Business Leaders in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh PostGazette, among the Most Influential Pittsburghers of the Century
by Pittsburgh Magazine and twice honored as one of the 100
Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal.
In his free time, he is active in many charitable organizations including The United Way of
Allegheny County, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, The Watson Institute and many
others. He holds degrees from Princeton University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Nominations for the Distinguished Alumni Award are accepted each year through Nov. 15, and
recipients are recognized during the High School Award Night each spring. A Distinguished Alumni
wall, with a photo plaque honoring each inductee, is located in the high school lobby. To qualify,
nominees must be alumni of North Hills High School or the former West View High School who
graduated at least 10 years ago.
Distinguished Alumni nominations are evaluated based on outstanding contributions made in
the nominees’ chosen profession, record of academic achievement, professional and/or business
accomplishments as well as community or civic consciousness. Nomination forms are available on
the Alumni section of the district’s website.
Board of Education
Mr. Thomas L. Kelly (first row, left); Mrs. Lori Rieger - School Board Secretary; Mrs. Kathy A. Reid; Mrs.
Arlene J. Bender; Dr. Annette Giovengo Nolish; Mr. Louis A. Nudi - Vice President; Mr. Joe Muha (second
row, left); Mr. Jeff Meyer, Dr. Patrick J. Mannarino - Superintendent; Mr. Edward M. Wielgus - President;
Mr. Mike Yeomans and Mr. Stanley Marciniak - Class of 2014 Student Representative. Miss Sarah Glatz Class of 2016 Student Representative and Mr. Michael J. Witherel - Solicitor are not pictured.
Join the North Hills Alumni Association
The mission of the North Hills Alumni Association (NHAA) is to enhance the quality of
educational services and resources available to North Hills students while providing
alumni the opportunity to remain connected to their alma mater.
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North Hills Alumni Association (NHAA) is in the beginning stages of creation. In the future,
Join NHAA
we hope to help publicize class reunions, hold alumni-centric events and embark on an
annual alumni giving campaign to ensure the future success of North Hills School District. After graduating
high school, our alumni enter the workforce and contribute greatly to our society. Sharing your career path and
experiences may have a significant impact on the careers our high school students consider. Stay connected with
us, and share your Alumni News and Achievements, too!
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Give Back! Become a North Hills Partner
Our district prides itself on our tradition of excellence.
In our area and throughout the region, state and nation,
North Hills School District is recognized as one of
America’s great public school districts.
We welcome your company’s or organization’s support
and partnership in our endeavors, and we look forward
to partnering with you to create a continued future of
excellence for our district and each and every North Hills
School District student.
Dr. Dan Turo of Turo Family Chiropractic is a
proud partner of North Hills School District!
Partnerships provide the ability to promote your business
or organization through strategic marketing channels,
while investing in public education with North Hills
School District.
Every day 15,000 vehicles drive past North Hills School District’s new digital sign on Perry Highway outside of
Martorelli Stadium. Would you like to reach a new audience and see your company’s advertisement there? This is just
one of the many partnership opportunities available to you!
• Can you imagine your company’s name being announced to thousands of local consumers throughout a North
Hills football game or other sporting event this season?
• Interested in placing an advertisement with direct access to the district’s more than 5,000
weekly E-link subscribers or hanging a banner for all sports events in a gymnasium?
• Would you like to sponsor an event such as Homecoming, Arts Alive or one of the North
Hills High School’s prestigious academic academies?
• Interested in having your business or organization be one of only a few EXCLUSIVE
sponsors on the NHSD app or showcasing your business on the school calendar?
Your partnership helps ensure the continuation of North Hills School District’s quality
academic programs, valued arts endeavors and athletic activities.
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