ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 830 OLD CLAIRTON ROAD JEFFERSON HILLS , PA 15025 PHONE 412.655.8450 FAX 412.655.9544 www . wjhsd . net
MESSAGE FROM
Dr . Michael Ghilani , West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent est Jefferson Hills
WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
As the end of the school year is quickly thrust upon us , it ’ s easy to say that the past year has been one of the most difficult and challenging in my 25 years as an educator . March 13 , 2020 will forever be implanted in my mind as the day when the unthinkable happened . To think that the entire country shut down , and everything , including education , came to a halt was unfathomable .
We had to quickly pivot during the summer of 2020 and plan for the unknown challenges of the 2020-2021 school year . Our teachers trained and worked through the summer to quickly implement a new learning management system , and we had to design a framework that would be flexible and adaptable to accommodate children ’ s needs and any possible mandates or directives from the PDE or the health department . Our goal , though , was to provide as much consistent in-person learning as possible while preserving the safety and health of our staff and students .
As I sit back and reflect on the year , I think about what we were able to accomplish despite the pandemic ; I can honestly say that I couldn ’ t be more proud of our staff and their efforts . It literally took every single person ’ s contribution to ensure that we were successful . In the end , it wasn ’ t perfect , but we were able to keep our kids in school and still manage success in athletics , academics , and the arts , as we had prior to the pandemic . Some of those accomplishments included :
● For the first time ever , the district recognized “ AP Scholars ” which meant that students had taken at least 5 AP exams and scored a 3 , 4 , or 5 on three of the exams .
● We had more students take the AP exams than ever before .
● We piloted three K-8 reading programs among 40 teachers , ultimately choosing CKLA as our K-8 program .
● We still saw increases and growth in our benchmark tests across all grades .
● All athletic teams played their seasons and every team was represented in the WPIAL playoffs .
● Our football team defended its titles by winning the WPIAL and PIAA championships for the second year in a row .
● We were able to have a wonderful musical cabaret called “ The Show Must Go On !” which paid homage to past TJ musicals dating back to 1986 .
● We held a Junior / Senior Prom that was such a success that students would like to see a similar model for Homecoming .
● Graduation was once again held in the stadium , without masks , and had close to three thousand people in attendance .
As the end of the pandemic is upon us , I know there are brighter days ahead . I am optimistic and excited to see the progress we make as a district moving forward . For the first time ever , the district ’ s curriculum and programs are aligned and student-centric , and provide all students accessibility to the same experience and opportunities for success . Let ’ s look toward the light at the end of the tunnel , but hold dear the life lessons that we have learned from the last eighteen months . The 2020-2021 school year is already a distant memory ; let ’ s relax , recharge , and get invigorated for a great school year in 2021-2022 .
Best Wishes ,
Dr . Michael Ghilani Superintendent of Schools
28 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS