NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Students in Norwin High School’ s Science Research class participated in the 2025 Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Wednesday, April 2, under the guidance of teachers Mr. Brian Nevi and Mrs. Natalie Nevi. As part of the competition, students developed original hypotheses, conducted experiments, analyzed their results, and presented their findings to a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from across the region.
The awards ceremony was held virtually on Friday, April 4, where several Norwin students were recognized for their outstanding work. Congratulations to the Norwin students who represented our school with excellence— well done!
• Michael Greer – The Effects of AI on Dementia
• Scholarship to Thiel College
• Saige Hockman – Impacts of Acid Rain, Salt Water, and Asphalt Sealer Runoff on Plant Growth and Health.
• Scholarship to Carlow University
• Excellence in Literature Review Award
• Erica Moffatt – Determining the Effects of Bleaching Reactions with Ammonia on Hair
• Sponsor Award from PPG
• Ava Passarelli – Investigating the Effect of Copper Algaecide Concentrations on Algae Growth
• Scholarship to Slippery Rock University
• Excellence in Literature Review Award
• Olivia Rigo – How Temperature Influences the Intensity and Duration of Luminol’ s Glow
Pittsburgh Regional Science Fair
• Sponsor Award from the University of Pittsburgh
• Excellence in Creativity Award
• Emily Schaeffer – Drink for Energy, Risk for Health?
• Scholarship from Carlow University
• Maeve Schmook – The Paws-itive Effects of Therapy Dogs
• Sponsor Award from Slippery Rock University
• Allison Schon-- The Impacts of Aquatic Plants on Water Quality
• David Skarja – Impacts of Acid Rain, Salt Water, and Asphalt Sealer Runoff on Plant Growth and Health.
• Scholarship to Carlow University
• Scholarship to Point Park University
• Excellence in Literature Review Award
• Jacqueline Weber – Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education
in order from L-R Saige Hockman, Erica Moffatt, Olivia Rigo, Emily Schaeffer, Jacqueline Weber, Maeve Schmook, Ava Passarelli, Michael Greer, Allison Schon, David Skarja orwin
NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Fourth Graders Tee Off with Sphero-Powered Mini Golf
Under the direction of Mr. Jared Schultz, students in Mrs. Jamie Depew’ s fourth grade class brought together creativity, engineering, and coding to design their own miniature golf courses. Working in teams, they planned and constructed the courses, incorporating features like ramps, obstacles, and themed decorations.
Once the designs were complete, students programmed Sphero robots to navigate the courses and simulate hitting a virtual golf ball into the hole. This engaging activity promoted teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on learning in a fun and innovative way.
Pinball Programming with Sphero: A Creative STEM Challenge
Third graders in Mrs. Hassinger’ s classes at Hahntown Elementary recently wrapped up the school year with an exciting hands-on project: designing and programming their own pinball machines using Sphero Robots. These custombuilt games weren’ t just about fun— they were carefully crafted to include point-earning zones, penalty areas where players could lose points, and bonus spaces offering extra rewards.
Students had the freedom to choose their own themes, resulting in a colorful variety of designs inspired by Pittsburgh sports, New York City, the NBA, and even“ Summer Vibes.” With help from Mr. Schultz, who joined the class to guide students in using the Sphero Robots, teams programmed their machines and competed to score the highest number of points.
This engaging end-of-year activity combined creativity with real-world applications of addition, subtraction, and computer programming— an inspiring way to celebrate learning and innovation!
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