Newsroom

Below are a number of the school clubs and activities available in the middle and high schools this year. Scan the QR codes to sign up today!

Next week is homecoming! Get ready to show your Northgate school spirit! 

A pep rally on Friday, Sept. 17, will kickoff spirit week. The 2:45 p.m. assembly is for students in grades 9 through 12 and will include the homecoming court reveal and spirit week announcements. 

The homecoming parade will be Friday, Sept. 24 at 6:15 p.m. The parade begins at Avalon Elementary and follows California Avenue to Lincoln Avenue, ending at Alumni Field. This includes the marching band, cheerleaders, pee wee cheerleaders, 2021 homecoming court, the 2020 homecoming and prom queen and king, and the Bellevue and Avalon fire departments. 

Northgate will take on Union Area during the homecoming football game at 7 p.m. Sept. 24, following the parade. Homecoming court will be introduced and the queen will be announced at halftime.

The homecoming dance will be at the middle/high school on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. This event is for students in 9 through 12 grades only and will be held outdoors. Masks will be optional unless a student enters the building for concessions or use of the restrooms at which time a mask will be mandatory. Tickets are $10 per person and MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE.  They will be on sale before and after school in the lobby starting Wednesday, Sept. 15.  

Click here for a full version of the event flyer!

Come join us at Avalon and Bellevue elementary schools for our Open House on Thursday, Sept. 16!

In an effort to allow for more social distancing, families are asked to limit attendance to two adults per student. The open house sessions will be divided in two time slots based on student last name. 

The time slot for children with last names beginning A to M will be 6 to 7 p.m. Children with last names N to Z will follow from 7 to 8 p.m.

Students must be accompanied by an adult. We look forward to meeting with our elementary school families!

Click here for a full resolution flyer! 

The Northgate School District is partnering with UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to vaccinate students and community members against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

The district will host a vaccine clinic from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at Northgate High School, 589 Union Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15202. 

To schedule an appointment, please visit https://forms.office.com/r/WqnxCjBmPb and select “Northgate School District.”

Students under age 18 will need a permission slip completed by a parent or guardian. The permission slips will be available in the main office. 

This clinic is available for students, parents and community members in the Northgate School District ages 12 and older. 

Please visit these websites for answers to some frequently asked questions parents might have prior to their child receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions

The Science Behind COVID-19 Vaccines: Parent FAQs

The Northgate School District will be participating in the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program this school year.

This program provides all children in Avalon and Bellevue elementary schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables, serving as an effective and creative way of introducing healthy snack options. 

The initiative is an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity by helping children learn more healthful eating habits. 

The diverse selection of healthy snacks will expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience, resulting in an increase in their fruit and vegetable consumption. Nutritional education for each fruit and vegetable served will be present during the school day.

The program begins Sept. 15.

In order to follow COVID-19 safety protocol and reduce allergy concerns, the fresh fruit or vegetable will be given to students at the end of the day to take home on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 

Please make sure you to check your child’s backpack when they get home.

The grant funding this federal program is administered by The Pennsylvania Department of Education and coordinated by the district’s food management agency, Sodexo.

Grant funds from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation will help Allegheny Health Network (AHN) reimagine a portion of the campus at Suburban General as a community greenspace and urban farming site. AHN is collaborating with Northgate School District and other community partners to create an ecosystem that supports innovative health and science programming with students and teachers.

The greenhouse will serve as an experiential learning site that supports hands on learning about the earth sciences and provides an intro to concepts like business math, economics, horticulture, and agritech. The re-envisioning of the greenspace will also support physical fitness activities and connection to behavioral wellness experts at AHN.

“We are very excited to partner with the Roy A. Hunt Foundation to bring this valuable program to fruition,” said Allie Quick, Chief Philanthropy Officer at AHN. “Supporting the total wellness of young people and creating career pathways that will help make the next generation of community residents more economically secure is one example of how organizations can work together to build a healthier Pittsburgh region.“

This is the first time the Roy A. Hunt Foundation has supported AHN and the program fits closely with their core mission and areas of interest.

“The Roy A. Hunt Foundation is pleased to invest in such an innovative initiative,” said Jenny Kelly, Executive Director of the Roy A. Hunt Foundation. “We support organizations that contribute to healthy, thriving neighborhood communities and a greener environment, as well as strategies that create opportunity for at-risk youth. This program has elements of both commitments, and we hope this seed funding will help this initiative and its beneficiaries grow and flourish.”

The greenhouse and youth programing is part of a larger effort by AHN to reinvent the Allegheny General Suburban campus from legacy asset to driver of innovation, economic opportunity, and community health.

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About the Roy A Hunt Foundation
The Roy A Hunt Foundation supports organizations that strive to improve the quality of life and believes in the importance of strong leadership, community-driven partnerships, and innovative ideas. Their funding focuses on programs that advance youth violence prevention, community development, the environment and international development. Learn more at rahuntfdn.org.

The Northgate Middle/High School fall picture day is scheduled for Sept. 14. The make-up date is Sept. 28.  

Portrait package order forms will be sent home with each student Tuesday, Sept. 7. NOLA students will receive an informational letter and their order form by mail.

Extra order forms can also be found here: https://jimscottstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/UnderClass-HighSchool_2019_Final__1500.pdf

All orders should be given to the photographer on the day the photos are being taken. Please do NOT turn them into the office. Also, keep in mind that packages cannot be ordered without payment.  

A photo will be taken of each student in these grades even if no portrait package is ordered.  This photo is used for our school yearbook.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the yearbook staff at yearbook@northgatesd.net or 412-732-3300 - ext. 1001.

SENIOR PORTRAITS FOR YEARBOOK DUE NOV. 26.
 
Seniors,

Northgate Class of 2022 senior portraits are due no later than Friday, Nov. 26. Portraits can be emailed to yearbook@northgatesd.net and must adhere to the guidelines below. 

Plan ahead: Students may choose their own photographer or use their portrait taken on school picture day (Sept. 14). Failure to submit an acceptable senior portrait will result in the use of the portrait taken on school picture day.
 
PHOTO SPECIFICATIONS:

• Vertical Poses
• Portrait Orientation
• Minimum size of 700x1040 pixels with 300 dpi
• High-Quality JPEG, PNG, or GIF format 
• A headshot from at least the waist up tends to look the best
• Photo should be in full color   
• Students must be wearing school-appropriate clothing; no hats or hoods
• Do not submit screenshots, selfies, or pictures from cell phones or social media

The Northgate School District is beginning the school year as part of a nationwide coalition to further its efforts to safely and equitably prepare its students for the future. 

The Learning 2025 Network was launched by AASA, The School Superintendents Association to develop recommendations that will allow school systems to create more student-centered, equity-focused and future-driven education.

“We will have access to some of the top education researchers in the country along with the opportunity to connect with our colleagues from around the country,” Superintendent Dr. Caroline Johns said about joining the network. “This is an opportunity for our district to really consider what the future of education looks like, and we will have access to a wealth of knowledge and opportunities as we redesign how we do education.”

Northgate became a demonstrated system within the coalition in July, allowing district leaders to collaborate with other administrators across the country to develop methods to transform school system culture, as well as organize and prioritize district goals.

“Prior to being invited to participate, we were already focused on taking lessons learned during the pandemic and considering how they might inform future work,” Johns said. “This past year, we have been working with the Allegheny Health Network to put in place comprehensive social and emotional supports in our schools using a model that is very innovative. Being a part of Learning 2025 will provide us opportunities to discuss this work and gain ideas on how to make it successful.  We will also be able to support other districts in their work to meet the social and emotional needs of their students.”

The AASA Learning 2025: National Commission on Student-Centered, Equity-Focused, Future-Driven Education, recommended essential principles for school system redesign. The recommendations, which include the creation of demonstration districts, are found in the commission’s report, An American Imperative: A New Vision of Public Schools. 

“Our goal is to galvanize and synergize thought leaders from all sectors to emerge from the pandemic in better shape than they were before,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “This initiative will ensure that educators are empowered and equipped to meet whole learners’ needs by personalizing and customizing instruction involving students in designing their own learning and coordinating resources to support ALL children’s overall growth and well-being.”

The initial steps of the program will be outlining district priorities for the next four years, as well as the anticipated challenges to achieving its goals. 

A senior consultant experienced with the characteristics and issues important to the district will assist Northgate, including conducting a review to help develop an action plan for the district. 

“The focus of Learning 2025 is the question: If you were redesigning public education to be more student-centered, equity-focused, and future-driven, what would be essential components of the redesign?” Johns said. “No individual district has all of the answers to this question but collectively we can develop answers that will drive how we do education and serve as a model for other districts in the country.”

We’ve got some exciting new programming in store for our elementary students this year.

Please join us for this informative event where we’ll cover a variety of topics, including curriculum updates, the S.P.A.R.K. Program, and the Chill Project. You’ll also hear about our clubs and activities, as well as visit your student’s classroom.

Click here for a full resolution version of the event flyer.

All sessions start at 8:05 a.m.

Please see below for the daily schedule based on grade:

Sept. 7 - Sixth Grade

Sept. 8 - Fifth Grade

Sept. 9 - Fourth Grade

Sept. 10 - Third Grade

Sept. 13 - Second Grade

Sept. 14 - First Grade

Sept. 15 - Kindergarten

Northgate’s elementary school students had the opportunity to learn science, technology and the arts through the district’s STEAM Summer Camp.

The fun, engaging learning experience at Bellevue Elementary School offered a variety of educational activities in July and August. Students had the chance to use technology to experiment, build and create, as well as connect with local artists and makers.

Most importantly, it was an opportunity to collaborate with their peers!

The camp was done in partnership with Assemble and delivered through a grant from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

 

Northgate was named the Football Team of the Week by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review High School Sports Network following the team’s 22-6 victory over Carlynton Friday night.

See the coverage below!

Trib HSSN Football Team of the Week 2021: Week Zero | Read More

5 things we learned in Week Zero of H.S. football | Read More

Rebel Yell Podcast: Don Rebel chats with Northgate HC Michael Fulmore plus, breaks down all the small school matchups leading up to Week 1 of the 2021 WPIAL football season. | Listen

The A.W. Beattie Career Center will be hosting a Back to School Night from 5:15 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 8. The event is for parents. Masks will be optional.

This is a great opportunity to meet with the staff at the center to learn about its programs! 

Click here to see a full resolution version of the flyer!

Due to the forecast of inclement weather, our Meet the Flames event scheduled for the evening of Sept. 1 is being postponed. The rescheduled date will be announced at a later time.

The Northgate School District this year will be partnering with the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and local universities to collectively build innovative health and science programming for students and teachers. 

Dr. Jeffrey Evancho was hired as the newly created Director of Partnerships and Equity at Northgate this summer to oversee efforts to build various community connections. The position is partially funded by an $85,000 multi-year grant from The Grable Foundation to support the district’s “Community as the Classroom” initiative. 

One of Evancho’s primary roles will be shepherding the relationship and partnership with AHN at the Allegheny General Hospital Suburban Campus facility in Bellevue. 

AHN and Innovation Works, a nonprofit, state-funded small business incubator, last year partnered to launch AlphaLab Health. The new accelerator for Southwest PA based start-up life sciences companies is housed in the former hospital and strives to stimulate innovation and economic growth in the region. 

After a successful start to the project, the onboarding process has already started for a second cohort of startups in the facility. 

“There’s an opportunity to connect the academic program to the wide variety of start-up companies that will exist at AHN’s Bellevue facility,” Evancho said. “The program right now is doing some really innovative things within the employment and entrepreneurial space. My job is to make intentional connections to what’s happening over there in real time to the school community.” 

Much of the proposed academic connections between Northgate and AHN will focus on behavioral and mental health, physical health, and nutrition. 

The district also will be building connections with local universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Evancho, whose career in education began as an art teacher in Pittsburgh, has spent years working with Harvard’s Project Zero, a research initiative focused on understanding and enhancing learning in and through the arts. In that role, Evancho worked with teachers to support their practices in the classroom. 

He continues to work with Harvard, serving as the co-director of the Pittsburgh chapter of another research project called Agency by Design. 

Evancho said the Northgate community will see several new programs supporting the district’s students and teachers fostered this year. 

“I’m super excited about it,” Evancho said. “I think there’s a tremendous amount of opportunity. Everybody I’m talking to, whether at AHN or the universities, are also excited about working with Northgate.”

The Northgate High School Class of 2021 commencement ceremony video is available online. To download the video to your computer, follow the link below to the Dropbox website and click the download arrow at the top of the right toolbar. 

Click here to access the video.