orth Hills School District
NORTH HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Class of 2016 Graduate Selected for Pitt’ s Prestigious Nordenberg Leadership Scholars Program
North Hills High School Class of 2016 graduate Danny Porter was selected for the prestigious Nordenberg Leadership Scholars Program at the University of Pittsburgh. He is one of only 10 students selected for the program from across Pennsylvania.
As part of the program, which is in its second year at Pitt, Porter will receive a full tuition scholarship estimated at $ 110,000, three years of paid internships, a study abroad experience and a myriad of networking, career coaching and leadership activities. He plans to major in mechanical engineering and enroll in the Swanson School of Engineering.
Named in honor of the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Emeritus Mark A. Nordenberg, the program is designed to attract and reward the best and brightest student leaders from high schools in Pennsylvania who have demonstrated excellent leadership skills, innovative thinking, intellectual curiosity and community involvement.
The program is unique because it incorporates rigorous academic engagement with an ambitious and structured curriculum outside the classroom that is designed to challenge the scholars to excel in leadership, global awareness, citizenship and civic engagement. Upon graduation, scholars will be positioned to achieve deep mastery in their fields of study and prepared for leadership in their chosen professions as well as for service in their communities as responsible local and global citizens, according to the University of Pittsburgh website.
At North Hills, Porter was president of Students Against Destructive Decisions( S. A. D. D.), which was named Pennsylvania’ s Chapter of the Year this school year. He also was a member of the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Hands for Service Club, Spanish Club, Buddy Program and varsity soccer team. He participated in the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute and was the recipient of the English Academic Achievement Award as well as various soccer team awards for sportsmanship and dedication. Outside of school, Porter works at Willi’ s Ski Shop and Dick’ s Sporting Goods and serves as a Diabetes Camp Counselor through the American Diabetes Association.
North Hills High School World Language Department Recognized as Exemplary with State Award
The North Hills High School World Language Department has been recognized as an exemplary high school foreign language program and honored with a Silver Award by the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association.
The high school is one of only 23 public and private schools from across the commonwealth to be honored by the association’ s PSMLA Exemplary Program Awards. Only three public schools in Allegheny County were rated higher than North Hills in the recognition program. The award is given in two-year cycles and the high school improved from bronze status to silver level this year.
The department was selected for the award due to high enrollment and retention rate in world language classes, providing a variety of language in a four-year high school sequence, participation in the Advancement Placement and College in High School programs and demonstrating an extended sequence of instruction in a commonly taught language among many other factors. The increase in the department’ s recognition status was due to improvement in their assessment processes, maintaining participation in professional organization and providing professional development opportunities for world language educators.
44 Ross Township
More than half of high school students are enrolled in German, Spanish, French or Latin foreign language classes at North Hills. All languages are offered with the option of up to five years of instruction capped by College in High School or Advanced Placement courses offering the possibility of college credit.