Superintendent’s Welcome
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is, indeed, a pleasure to welcome our Norwin School District students, parents, employees, and the greater community to a new and exciting school year. Building on the academic and financial success of this past school year, we look forward to meeting the many challenges and rewards to preserve and strengthen public education.
The reasonable voices of Board governance and effective leadership provide the necessary foundation for the administration and faculty to fulfill the goals and action plans of the District’s Strategic Plan. Knowing that good schools are a great investment, nothing is too good for public education and nothing but the best will do to meet the high expectations of quality set forth by the Norwin School District.
With cutbacks in state and federal funding, it will require a collective effort on the part of all key stakeholders to preserve the fidelity of Norwin’s educational programs and services. With this notion, and coupled with prudent financial management and fiscal responsibility through the reallocation of resources, the District will make every effort to make educational and financial investments based on best practices, proven methods, and strategies for long-term success.
Norwin currently has the lowest real estate millage of 17 school districts in Westmoreland County, which demonstrates a cost-effective and efficient manner of operations and reflects the values and desired investments of the greater school community for high performing schools. Norwin performs exceptionally well with overall student achievement and academic rankings – second highest out of 17 school districts in Westmoreland County, 10 out of 105 school districts in southwestern Pennsylvania, and 32 out of 496 school districts based on the Pittsburgh Business Times 2011 Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools.
Students who have strong academics, sophisticated technical skills, and a personal commitment to excellence will have best opportunity to be successful in the future and it is the responsibility of the School District to ensure that graduates, in this respect, are well-prepared as life-long learners.
The District will continue to enhance its educational programs and services with a high priority on STEM education with expanded learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This K-12 initiative with successful programs such as the Elementary Camp Invention and Secondary Robotics Initiative will help prepare our students for the high-tech jobs of the future with an increased degree of competitiveness in an ever-growing international arena. The District plans to sponsor a NorwinSTEM Summit, which will bring business and education partners together to share ideas and identify new ways to create advanced STEM educational opportunities that will encourage our students to become an integral part of tomorrow’s leading workforce.
The School District continues to place emphasis on literacy and writing, advanced placement opportunities, health and wellness, college and career pathways, senior internships, engineering camps, character education, and special and gifted education programs and services. The Norwin Center for 21st Century Learners will provide a hybrid model of instruction through its own Cyber School Academy for on-line learning and will expand virtual learning opportunities through a new Board policy for course offerings taught by Norwin teachers. Instructional delivery will be enhanced so that Norwin can remain competitive in a world of school choice for academic success and accountability, integrating new strategies to meet the changing needs of 21st century learners.
K-4 students will experience a new schedule for health, physical education, music, art, library, and computer instruction, with additional time for enrichment and remediation periods by classroom and itinerant teachers and career awareness by guidance counselors. Intermediate and Middle School students will have an improved class schedule for equity and access to course selections and High School students will be issued I.D.’s with a password for Internet access for educational programming and research.
The Norwin Center for Performing Arts will continue providing opportunities for creativity, art education, technology, music and drama to build on the Norwin tradition of outstanding performances and competition. Equally so, the tradition and pride of Norwin athletics, recreation, health and fitness, and intramural sports will continue with the same offerings and emphasis on building character and good sportsmanship through competition and active life-styles.
All employees will continue to be part of a Professional Learning Community where human and financial investments are made for staff development and training. Whether it is enhanced instructional methods through the use of technology, better food and nutritious meal selections, improved techniques to keep schools well-maintained, clean and safe, or increased productivity to meet the changing needs of the school operations, Norwin School District will continue to believe and invest in its key stakeholders to retain the status of a premier School District.
Without question, every consideration and decision made will be based on what is best for our students educationally, now and in the future.
Best wishes as the Norwin School District begins the 2011-2012 school year!
Respectfully,
William H. Kerr, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
