SHERIDAN TERRACE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL Named a National ESEA
Distinguished School
S
heridan Terrace Elementary was
recently named as a National
ESEA Distinguished School for
exceptional student achievement in
2018.
It is one of 100 schools that was
nationally recognized, according
to the National Association
of Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) State Program
Administrators.
The Distinguished Schools
program highlights selected schools
that have successfully used their
ESEA federal funds to improve the
education for all students, including
economically disadvantaged
students.
Dr. Heather Newell, Principal of
Sheridan Terrace Elementary School,
said the Distinguished School
achievement recognizes students’
impressive academic growth.
“This is due to their hard work, our
families’ support, and the Sheridan
Terrace teachers and staff,” Dr. Newell
said. “We are very intentional in the way
instruction and learning is planned so
that students’ skills build and strengthen
from year to year.”
The National Association of
ESEA State Program Administrators
(NAESPA)—formerly the National Title
I Association—has been selecting
examples of superior, federally funded
school programs for national recognition
through the National ESEA Distinguished
Schools program (recently renamed
from its predecessor, the National Title
I Distinguished Schools program) since
1996.
These Distinguished Schools
demonstrate a wide array of strengths,
including team approaches to teaching
and learning, focused professional
development opportunities for staff,
individualized programs for student
success and strong partnerships
between the school, parents, and the
community.
From left to right: Dr. Natalie McCracken,
Assistant Superintendent of Elementary
Education, and Dr. Heather Newell, Sheridan
Terrace Principal, received the award at the
National ESEA Conference in Kansas City.
NORWIN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Mr. Kotch has served Norwin in Various Roles since 1994
M
r. Timothy J. Kotch, Sr., has announced
his retirement from the position of
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary
Education. He has served in this role since July
2015, and will retire at the end of the 2018-
2019 school year.
In this role, Mr. Kotch developed, achieved,
and maintained the best possible educational
programs and services for secondary
education. In this capacity, Mr. Kotch also
served as the School District’s Chief STEM/STEAM Officer,
among many other roles.
Mr. Kotch is a 1974 graduate of Norwin High School and
continues to reside in the School District with his wife, Mary,
children and grandchildren.
He has a long record of service to Norwin School District,
including:
n 2015-Present: Assistant Superintendent of Secondary
Education.
n 2013-2015: Norwin High School Principal.
n 2003-2011: Norwin High School Assistant Principal.
n 1999-2003: Norwin High School Mathematics and
Computer Science teacher, including time served as
Mathematics Department Chair.
n 1994-1999: Norwin Middle School East Mathematics
Teacher.
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NORWIN
Before that, Mr. Kotch taught mathematics at Estill High
School in Estill, South Carolina from 1989 to 1994.
Mr. Kotch has authored numerous grants for Norwin,
including many that brought Palm Pilots, Vernier science
lab equipment, graphing calculators, Lego and Vex
Robotics to District students. Most recently he authored
a PAsmart Grant for a K-12 coding program for District
Students.
Mr. Kotch coordinated and oversaw the implementation
of the Project Lead the Way Engineering program, Air
Force JROTC program, Cyber Security Program and
Operation Prevention.
He served Active Duty in the United States Army from
1975-1981, and was honorably discharged in 1981.
In 1993, he was awarded with the honor of being a
Department of Energy teacher research associate at the
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. During the 1998-
1999 school year, he was named Teacher of The Year at
Norwin Middle School-East.
Mr. Kotch is also a Board Member of ASSET STEM
Education, a national education improvement nonprofit
based in Pittsburgh. He also volunteers his time as a Board
Member of the Norwin Teachers Federal Credit Union, where
he serves as President and is a member of the Norwin Rotary,
where he received the Paul Harris Fellow Award.