NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Opening Day 2025: Norwin Celebrates a New School Year with a Focus on Workforce Development
Preparing Norwin Students for College & Career Success
NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Opening Day 2025: Norwin Celebrates a New School Year with a Focus on Workforce Development
Norwin School District began the 2025 – 26 academic year with its annual Opening Day event, held in the Middle School auditorium. Approximately 600 faculty and staff members attended the program, which served as an opportunity to recognize achievements, reinforce district priorities, and prepare for the year ahead.
The event opened with a performance by the Norwin High School Marching Band and student vocalists. Board Vice President Mr. Tim Kotch delivered remarks on behalf of the Board of Education, affirming the District’ s ongoing commitment to educational excellence and student success.
A central component of the program was a workforce development panel moderated by Dr. Rocco Telli, Director of Secondary Education & Assessment. Panelists included:
• Robert Fisher, Edgar Snyder
• Jessica Gardner, General Carbide
• Heidi Henckel, Independence Health System
• Lechelle Stringa, Pheple Federal Credit Union
• Jason Valozzi, Campus to Career Crossroads
Each panelist provided insights into workforce trends within their respective industries and identified the skills and competencies most critical for student success in the workplace.
The discussion emphasized the District’ s continued focus on workforce development, including preparing students for both college and career pathways, providing relevant and practical learning experiences, developing transferrable skills such as communication and problem-solving, creating opportunities for students to earn industry-recognized credentials, and establishing a clear NSD Graduate Profile that reflects the qualities and readiness of Norwin graduates. Panelists underscored the importance of connecting classroom learning with industry expectations and highlighted the value of partnerships between education and business.
In addition to the workforce development panel, the program included presentations from the Norwin Teacher Federal Credit Union and the Norwin School District Community Foundation. Both organizations continue to provide significant support for student programs, staff, and district initiatives.
Opening Day 2025 reaffirmed Norwin School District’ s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, while also strengthening its focus on workforce readiness and community partnerships.
orwin
NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Preparing Norwin Students for College & Career Success
Norwin School District is committed to preparing students for success in high demand fields through robust career pathways. These pathways integrate rigorous academics, industryrecognized credentials, and community partnerships to support the development of a well-rounded graduate.
As Norwin’ s new Workforce Development Coordinator, Laura Swick is excited to support our students in exploring career pathways that connect directly to their current coursework and future goals. We are currently working to expand opportunities for:
• Prepare Students for College & Career
• Enhance our guest speaker program to provides students with meaningful connections between classroom learning and their desired career paths.
• Provide Relevant Learning & Experiences
• Facilitate job shadowing, internships, and career exploration activities that connect classroom learning to real-world applications.
• Develop Transferable Skills
• Support learning to embed soft skills like communication, collaboration, and problem-solving into daily instruction.
• Issue Industry-Recognized Credentials
• Expand access to certification programs that match our career pathways to enhance student employability and provide a competitive edge on college applications.
• Create the NSD Graduate Profile
• Norwin empowers learners with the skills, competencies, and confidence to thrive as responsible, innovative, and engaged citizens.
“ Pathways with a Purpose” provides an overview of how Norwin School District is aligning its career pathways with local workforce priorities.
NORWIN | FALL 2025 29