MESSAGE FROM
Mr. Matthew Patterson,
Assistant Superintendent
of Elementary Education
I
hope everyone is having a wonderful school year filled with new
learning experiences and joy! The year is moving along very
quickly, and I am sure everyone is looking forward to slowing
down a little bit during the holiday season. From students to staff,
everyone has been working incredibly hard and learning each day. For
that, I am thankful and appreciative.
Word is out, West Jefferson Hills School District is a great place
for all children! Our enrollment continues to exceed all previous
projections that were produced two years ago. Over the last two
years, the overall enrollment has increased by nearly 300 and recently
exceeded 3,100 total students. We warmly welcome the many new
families who originate from various parts of the world and chose to
call this beautiful community “home.” We are proud to see so many
new faces in our schools and, as we continue to grow, we will adjust
accordingly. Additional faculty and staff have been hired to reduce
class sizes, better support English Language Learners, and to enhance
supports to students with exceptionalities. A ten-room addition was
recently completed at Gill Hall Elementary School to provide the
needed space to facilitate our growth. A new demographic study is
expected to be completed in January providing the most up-to-date
information to be used in planning future staffing and facility needs.
While most school districts in Pennsylvania continue to experience
declining student enrollment, staff furlough, and school closures, I
believe we are fortunate to be experiencing the exact opposite.
Kindergarten pre-registration opened in early November and within
the first 24 hours, over 120 children were pre-registered! Those who
pre-register will receive important updates and other information
from the school district including activities designed to assist with
your child’s transition to Kindergarten, instructions for official
registration and more. Children must be 5 years of age on or before
September 1. Please be advised that this is only a “pre-registration.”
Instructions for officially enrolling will be provided at a later date. Help
us spread the word about pre-registration by telling your friends and
neighbors. The link to pre-register can be found at www.wjhsd.net.
Thank you for your continued support of the West Jefferson Hills
School District. This is a uniquely special community where Jaguar
pride runs wild! All the best to you and your family at this wonderful
time of year.
WEST JEFFERSON HILLS
❘
WINTER 2019
33