relationships, anti-bullying, grit, etc. The DESSA-SSE will be administered three times a year to chart students’ social emotional growth.
• Facilities upgrades in HVAC at JHIS and lighting and water efficiency upgrades at McClellan, JHIS, and PHMS will be completed.
• A classroom addition, renovation, and new playground at Gill Hall Elementary.
• The completion of the new Thomas Jefferson High School this school year.
As you can see, we have a lot to be excited and optimistic about in the West Jefferson Hills School District. A three-year plan that outlines our vision for the district can be found on our website. Every building level goal is derived from our vision and the three-year plan and will be posted on the district website. It is critical to all of us that stakeholders in the district know exactly where we are headed and why we are headed there. Please take some time to look at the three-year plan, and feel free to reach out to me should you ever have any questions or concerns. Looking forward to a great school year!
MESSAGE FROM
Scott Milburn, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education
The West Jefferson Hills School District administrative team has been diligently working this summer to provide new and enhanced learning opportunities for our students. From hiring additional staff, restructuring the Thomas Jefferson High School Student Handbook, deploying the district’ s 1:1 Chromebook initiative, and installing additional safety measures in all of our schools, we look forward to a successful and rewarding 2018-19 school year.
We welcome Mr. Pete Murphy, Principal, and Mr. Adam Knaresborough, Assistant Principal, to the Thomas Jefferson High School leadership team. They are both joining us with many years of high school administrative experience. Our hiring process included multiple rounds of interviews with district administrators, staff, students, and the Board of School Directors. Their beliefs and values were apparent in the interviews and congruent with the West Jefferson Hills School District Core Values; Respect, Empathy, Integrity, Learner Centric, Focus Personalization / Customization System, Fostering Positive Relationships. It was immediately evident that they will be able to foster positive relationships with our students and staff and work to create an inclusive, transparent learning environment at Thomas Jefferson High School.
Our high school parents will see a newly developed Thomas Jefferson Student Handbook. Our goal is to work with students and families in an empathetic and caring manner throughout the school year. In order to create clear expectations and a transparent system of consequences for our students, the high school administrative team has developed a discipline matrix that will be shared with students, families, and the community. Additionally, the high school will remind students to always“ Respect Yourself, Respect Others, and Respect TJ.” Improving our school culture and working collaboratively with others will always be a priority in the district.
Several security upgrades have been added throughout the district. All school district exterior doors will have access-monitoring electronic-door locks and selected doors will have access-control devices to be used by school district staff and first responders. Additionally, the district’ s camera system has been upgraded in all of our buildings and will provide our administrative staff with additional tools to monitor and increase security at our schools. The district has also approved the hiring of three additional School Police Officers to work at Gill Hall Elementary, McClellan Elementary, and Jefferson Hills Intermediate Schools for the 2018-2019 school year. We are in the process of interviewing and hiring candidates to fill these positions. The safety and security of our students is non-negotiable and one of our highest priorities.
In grades 7-12, we will be focusing on aligning and examining the mathematics courses and curriculum, implementing the chromebook initiative together with Google Classroom, reimagining the high school experience for our students which may include altering the number of periods in the day, examining class rank and our grading system, and adding personalized learning time for all students. We will also continue to implement our Comprehensive Three-Year Plan, focus on student achievement, growth, and social-emotional learning, and implement safety and security measures to make our school district one of the best districts in the state and throughout the nation. If there is anything I can ever do for you or your children, please do not hesitate to contact me. Wishing you all a successful 2018-19 school year!
est Jefferson Hills
WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
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