North Hills High School
Welcomes Pennsylvania Attorney
General for Teen Talk Forum
T
he high school welcomed Pennsylvania Attorney
General Josh Shapiro and fellow students from Quaker
Valley and Northgate high schools for a Teen Talk forum
to discuss ways to address bullying and cyberbullying
and evoke change in the future.
During the forum, 20 student leaders from each school
district shared their concerns, voiced their opinions and
offered solutions on how to discuss and handle bullying and
cyberbullying in their schools and online. The forum is one of a
series planned by Attorney General Shapiro across the state, and
it is the only one slated for southwestern Pennsylvania. At the
end of the year, the Attorney General’s office will release a report
with best practices to address bullying and cyberbullying crafted
with input from Pennsylvania students.
N
North Hills Named a Best
Community for Music Education
for Fifth Consecutive Year
orth Hills School District has been honored as one of
the nation’s Best Communities for Music Education
by the noted NAMM Foundation for the fifth year in
a row. North Hills School District is one of 12 districts
in Allegheny County to be awarded the program’s highest
designation this year. Only 623 school districts across the country
were recognized with the honor.
The Best Communities for Music Education designation is
awarded to school districts that demonstrate exceptional efforts
toward maintaining music education as part of the schools’ core
curriculum. Designations are made to districts that demonstrate
an exceptionally high commitment to music education and set
the bar in offering students access to comprehensive music
education.
“It is an honor to be one of the 623 districts nationwide to
be selected, and this recognition is a
testament to the incredible educators
and talented students who instruct
and learn in North Hills School
District’s valued music education
program,” said Dr. Patrick J. Mannarino,
North Hills School District’s
superintendent.
At North Hills School District, eight
out of every 10 students has taken
part in a music class or related activity
during the 2018-19 school year. A total
of 13 different classes are taught at
North Hills High School, and students
34
North Hills’ student ambassadors included Nick Bartel, Andrew
Bensch, Ally Campbell, Olav Carter, Grace Cloonan, Seamus
Connolly, Gianna DiPaolo, Sam Hillegas, Jessica Kappeler, Adele
Loaney, Hannah
Martin, Ryan Martin,
Elena McGoey,
Jake Miscencik,
Sean Nolan, Evelyn
Osmond, Leslie
Rozanski, Joe Ryan,
Aiden Schneider and
Kate Wells.
ROSS TOWNSHIP
can enroll in 11 music class options at North Hills Middle School.
All elementary students take part in a general music class and
more than 600 fourth, fifth and sixth-graders play instruments in
the elementary band or orchestra or sing in the children’s choir.
A Northwestern University study found that students involved
in music programs saw higher success in academic areas such
as reading. According to a recent Gallup Pool, 94 percent
of Americans consider music to be part of a well-rounded
education.
Established in 1999, the Best Communities for Music
Education from the National Association of Music Merchants
Foundation honors school districts and school buildings that
have demonstrated exceptional efforts toward maintaining
music education programs as part of the schools’ core curriculum
and exemplify commitment and support for music education.
To be considered for the
designation, district educators
are required to answer detailed
questions about funding,
graduation requirements, music
class participation, instruction time,
facilities, support for the music
program and community music-
making programs. Responses
are verified with school officials
and reviewed by The Institute for
Educational Research and Public
Service of Lawrence, Kansas, an
affiliate of the University of Kansas.