NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS

Sebastian Pratt

Raychel Testa

Jacob Iwinski

ReidAnn Sever

Hunter Stecko

Isha Vyas

46 Norwin

SECONDARY GIFTED / Secondary Options Are Realized( SOAR) Gifted Coordinators Present Additional Educational Opportunities Secondary SOAR students have experienced several educational opportunities for summer governor schools and travel, including the following:

• University of Pittsburgh: Sebastian Pratt has applied to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’ s School for Global and International Studies.

• Peru: Sebastian Pratt has also applied to attend the Youth Ambassadors Program with South America( YAPSA), a program of the U. S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, administered by Amizade.

• Carnegie Mellon University: Raychel Testa has applied to attend the Pennsylvania Governor ' s School for the Sciences( PGSS).

• Germany: Jacob Iwinski has applied to attend the Congress- Bundestag Vocational Youth Exchange Program.

Duquesne Model United Nations club( DUQMUN) 2017 Thirty-two students represented Norwin High School at the Model United Nations Council on January 27, 2017. Out of the 32 students, 16 students belong to the secondary gifted program. Dr. Connie DeMoreSavine and Ms. Ciminy St. Clair, who serve as gifted coordinators at Norwin Middle School and Norwin High School, assisted the group’ s advisor, Mrs. Larissa Sturm, at the event. Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the UN General Assembly or UN Security Council, and introduces students to the world of diplomacy, negotiation, and decision making. ReidAnn Sever received a trophy to signify her“ outstanding” delegation representing Spain. The“ outstanding” ranking correlates to a first place prize in the United Nations Security Council Committee. She was judged on her ability to remain in character, formal in-session debate, informal debate, ability to accomplish national objectives and overall diplomacy. The students have two more Model UN Conferences on March 21st and April 19th.

National Academic Quiz Team Competition( NAQT) Norwin High School hosted the National Academic Quiz Team Competition on February 4, 2017. Senior Andrew Halza organized the event with assistance from Norwin High School Teacher Mr. Kevin Chitester and Ms. St. Clair. Twenty-two teams competed at the event representing the western region. Thirty-seven gifted students from Norwin participated. Approximately 90 students competed in eight rounds of competition play. This was the first NAQT event held within Westmoreland County. The hope is to make the event an annual tradition. Erin Crust, Hunter Stecko, Matthew Bushik, and Jared Ackerman placed third in team competition, while Hunter Stecko placed in the top ten individual scorers.

Technology Enrichment

On February 6 and 7, 2017, 12 gifted middle schoolers who have demonstrated an advanced understanding of how to use technology were provided an opportunity to work alongside Mr. Peter Berger, a software engineer for Apple. The students learned core concepts that all software engineers must understand, and worked both individually and collaboratively to engineer a video game. By the end of the two-day enrichment workshop, students were eager to showcase their work. They not only learned the basics of computer programming, but they also learned how to individualize their product by drawing upon their unique talents and strengths.

Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science( PJAS) Contest Isha Vyas, an eighth-grade student in the gifted program, presented her study, Glucometers: Accuracy versus Price, at the

Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Competition held at Duquesne University on February 4, 2017. Not only was Isha awarded first place in the Junior Biochemistry Division, but she also will be competing at the state level when she ventures to Penn State in May. Good luck, Isha!

ELEMENTARY GIFTED / Seminar of Early Advanced Learners( SEAL) Grades 5 & 6: Intermediate School SEAL students have been busy learning about 3-D printing. They have been creating designs to print on the classroom’ s 3-D printer – including new hall passes to be used in the cafeteria.

Students are also finishing a unit on Newton’ s 3rd Law of Motion. They have designed and launched balloon rockets to share what they have learned. The balloon rockets have been adjusted to carry payloads from a starting point to a finish line. The students have been using the engineering design process to tweak and improve their designs.

Finally, the students have been participating in service projects this year. They have sponsored a school wide pull tab collection for the Ronald McDonald House and collected more than 80 pounds. They also baked and donated cookies to Meals on Wheels. Currently, they are planning a Mardi Gras-themed spaghetti dinner for the residents in Irwin Manor. These service projects allow the students to strengthen their soft skills such as leadership, communication and interpersonal relationships.

K-4: K-4 SEAL students gifted have been studying engineering and design and applying those skills to create inventions. They used the engineering design process to build bridges of various materials that could withstand given weights. Then, they learned to use the Lego WeDo kits to build moveable projects with gears, pulleys, wheels, and axles. Once they mastered those activities, they were able to design new drawbridges that open and close with motion sensors and then use computer programming to do specific tasks.

The students also used LittleBits, which are color-coded electronic building blocks. Certain input devices such as buttons, switches, pressure sensors, and sound sensors combined with output devices such as buzzers, fans, and lights, to make their imaginations come to life. The elementary are students are now starting to build with K-Nex. They are challenged to make a new eco-friendly amusement park ride that runs with at least one motor. Later in March, one team will represent Norwin at a K-Nex competition.

Contributors: Ms. Ciminy St. Clair, High School – Coordinator, Case Manager- Grade 10 Dr. Connie DeMoreSavine, Secondary Gifted Education Coord. / Case Manager grades 7-9 Mrs. Paula Giran, Grades 5-6 Coordinator, Gifted Case Manager Ms. Trisha R. Brunazzi, Elementary Coordinator, Case Manager-Grades K-4