MESSAGE FROM
Scott Milburn,
Assistant Superintendent
of Secondary Education
Safe 2 Say Something
T
he state of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly
passed Act 44 mandating the establishment
and use of the “Safe2Say Something” (S2SS)
anonymous reporting system for all school
districts in Pennsylvania.
S2SS is a school safety program focused on saving
students’ lives and preventing school violence. The
West Jefferson Hills School District has provided
training for students in grades 6-12, educators, and
administrators on how to recognize the signs and
signals of individuals who may be at risk of hurting
themselves or others and to use the S2SS app, website,
or 24/7 Crisis Center Hotline.
The S2SS program has been established by, and
will be managed through, the Office of the Attorney
General in cooperation with the Sandy Hook Promise
organization. Crisis counselors work with the tipster
to evaluate the tip and to send it to the appropriate
authorities based on the nature of the situation. All tips
are anonymous, but if a received tip is deemed to be
malicious or a hoax, the Office of the Attorney General
has developed a procedure for school districts to break
anonymity and to bring charges to these individuals.
Since the training in January, students have
submitted several tips through the S2SS system and
continue to use the system in a responsible manner.
The district is working with parents, local police
departments and law-enforcement agencies to ensure
the safety of our students and school buildings. We
encourage our students to report any concerns to
the adults in our buildings as well as follow the S2SS
reporting system. The West Jefferson Hills School
District is committed to providing positive and safe
building environments for our students and staff, and
the Safe 2 Say Something program is yet another tool
to help in this process.
42 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS
Mr. Matthew
Patterson,
Assistant
Superintendent
of Elementary
Education
I
t is hard to believe that the end of the school year is rapidly
approaching and there are more school days behind us
than there are ahead. In a year filled with several changes
designed to improve student learning all across the district,
the long and restful days of summer will be a welcome relief to
many. Even though we will soon bring this year to an end, we are
excited to improve upon what we learned this year as we plan for
an even better 2019-2020 school year.
As of this writing, we have had a strong early response from
parents/guardians who have pre-registered their children for
kindergarten. Please continue to help us spread the word about
the importance of registering children for kindergarten as early as
possible. Special events are planned for incoming Kindergarten
students in August, and we don’t want anyone to miss out!
Additional information about Kindergarten and the registration
process can be found on our website at www.wjhsd.net.
State assessments are right around the corner for all students
in grades 3-8. The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
(PSSA) is a state and federal requirement for all public schools.
The results of these assessments provide our school district with
valuable information about the overall effectiveness of the West
Jefferson Hills School District. The results are linked to evaluations
and rankings of schools and districts across the Commonwealth
as well as individual teacher and principal yearly evaluations.
Results from the PSSA are used, in part, to plan new courses or
adjust current ones in which students show a need. Knowing how
relevant the results are to the school district, staff, faculty and
administrators, I am asking you to encourage your child to simply
do their very best. We believe in a growth mindset at WJHSD and
think everyone should demonstrate a year’s worth of growth for a
year’s worth of time with us. To the student taking the PSSA, this
means doing better this year than last, not necessarily reaching
a certain level of proficiency - only be better! The PSSAs are one
more way for students to show what they know!
We have begun the exciting process of researching a new
reading curriculum/program for grades K-8. Our current reading
program is outdated and limiting what we know students can
genuinely do. Throughout the next year or so, teams will be
identifying essential elements of an effective reading program,
identifying areas we have fallen short in our current reading
curriculum, visiting high-achieving/high-growth school districts
to learn from them and piloting new programs in our classrooms.
We invite you to be a part of the discussion when the time comes.
Enjoy these last days of the school year, and thank you for your
continued support of the West Jefferson Hills School District! Here,
it is all about the kids!