Newsroom

Congratulations to our 2024 Homecoming Court!

From left to right: Jay Shane, Carrie Wynn, Aniyah Settles, Reagan Michalski, Olivia Rajakovic, Alyx Bohn, Caleb Gratner, Anthony Hopkins, Darius Fields and Kaleb Billings.

The annual Homecoming Parade is this Friday. It starts at Avalon Elementary at 6 p.m. and ends at Alumni Field. Meet the Flames will take place at 6:35 p.m. Kickoff for the Homecoming Game is at 7 p.m. against Shenango. The Homecoming Ceremony will take place at halftime.

Homecoming is this Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

Students in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 are invited to join the forensics club! As part of the forensics club, students can sharpen their skills in public speaking, increase their confidence and be part of a team of talented and driven students.

Northgate Odyssey of the Mind is forming teams! Registration is open now through September 9! 

Registration is open to students at Avalon & Bellevue Elementary Schools and Northgate Middle School.

Register to join Northgate Odyssey here: https://forms.gle/BCWvs4gchuAbNoY57

Want to learn more about Odyssey of the Mind in the Northgate School District? Visit our website: https://www.northgateodyssey.org/

If you have questions, please email northgateodyssey@gmail.com

Sign up for our In-House Basketball League Showdown!

It's no secret rebranding has been a goal of the Northgate School District. As students head back to school at the Middle/High School, they may notice a more 'on brand' learning environment.

New this school year, the lockers have been painted red and the walls are now white with yellow trim to align with the Flames’ new image.

About 2 years ago, the district went through a formal rebranding process, where it created new logos and official school colors; red and yellow.

“When this process was finished, members of the student council approached me and asked about painting the school to reflect these official colors,” High School Principal Dr. Nicole Smith said.

From there, a core group of students got right to work. They researched paint samples and worked with their art teacher to create a mock-up of potential changes and put paint samples on the wall.

“Teachers then came in during a day of service in January and painted one hallway for a visual,” Dr. Smith said.

Once that was done, the paint changes were planned by the Facilities Manager. After a summer of hard work and preparation, the hallways and lockers at Northgate High School are ready for the 2024-2025 school year.

Even though school was out for the summer, that didn’t stop many Northgate students from participating in summer camps offered by the district. Students had the opportunity to participate in three different camps during their time away from the classroom. The three camps offered included the Assemble STEAM Summer Camp, the Arts Greenhouse "Journal Week," and Summer Greenhouse Groups.

The Northgate/Assemble STEAM Summer Camp provided students six weeks of hands-on fun with science, technology, engineering, art and math. Assemble is a nonprofit organization and community space located in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood. Its mission is to build confidence through different opportunities where students of all ages can engage with STEAM based activities. Each week, students were able to explore different STEAM topics such as Afrofuturism, chemistry, engineering, board game design, and geology.

The Arts Greenhouse "Journal Week" was a one-week program dedicated to promoting youth arts. Incoming Northgate 5th through 8th grade students had the opportunity to explore and practice skills in creative writing, journaling, illustration, short stories, font making and calligraphy. Ten students attended the program regularly throughout the week.

Finally, the Northgate School District and The Chill Project partnered together to offer free Summer Greenhouse Groups. The group sessions took place in the district’s greenhouse at Northgate Middle/High School. The groups were centered around hands-on horticulture activities, mindfulness, gardening skills and creative projects. The goal of this camp was to not only promote gardening skills, but also emotional regulation, grounding, sensory awareness and a deeper connection to nature and themselves.

Each camp played an important role in building students’ academic and essential life skills, while also creating new friendships and staying active during the summer.

This past spring, educators from around the world met in Pittsburgh to discuss the future of education at the Forge Futures Summit.

The event included visits to AHN Suburban to see how the partnership between Northgate and the facility offers students an innovative learning environment.

Our high school students interviewed some of the educators in attendance to get their insight on learning ecosystems.

Check out the videos below to hear their thoughts!

Forge Futures: Feature 1

Forge Futures: Feature 2

The Northgate School District is making changes to the leadership structure at Northgate Middle/High School. These changes are designed to best support the various systems, services, and initiatives in the building.

To better align our administrative structure with the school’s functions, the district has redefined the previous middle and high school principal roles to two new principal positions: Secondary Student Services Principal and Secondary Instructional Principal.

1. Secondary Student Services Principal: Dr. Nicole Smith will assume this role, overseeing all student-focused activities for grades 7-12. Dr. Smith previously served as the High School Principal. Her responsibilities will now include managing the school’s support systems, including the Multi-Tiered System of Supports, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and Student Assistance Program, as well as overseeing guidance, graduation, attendance, truancy, and athletics. This role also involves supervising the office faculty, Special Education faculty, counselors, and the Northgate Online Learning Academy coordinator.

2. Secondary Instructional Principal: The district’s Board of School Directors on June 24 hired Dr. Nancy Bowman to serve as the Secondary Instructional Principal. Dr. Bowman brings extensive experience in education, ranging from teaching science to serving as both a middle and high school principal. She has most recently worked in the North Allegheny School District. In her new role, Dr. Bowman will lead the instructional faculty and oversee all aspects of teaching and learning for grades 7-12.

Both principals also will proactively work to build positive relationships with students, families, and staff to ensure a welcoming environment for all students.

“In a short period of time, our building has redesigned how we do school,” Dr. Smith said. “We really feel that we are making powerful changes that are greatly impacting our students’ futures, so we want to make sure our building leadership structure supports those endeavors in a sensible way as well.”

Additionally, the district hired Michael Wagstaff to serve as Secondary Assistant Principal at Northgate Middle/High School. Mr. Wagstaff previously served as the district's interim middle school principal this past spring.

 

The Northgate School District and The Chill Project are partnering to offer free group programming for all students this summer!

These group sessions will take place in the district’s greenhouse at Northgate Middle/High School for four weeks in July and August. Sessions for middle and high school students will be 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays from July 22 to Aug. 14. Sessions for elementary students will be 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 23 to Aug. 15.

The groups will center around hands-on horticulture activities, mindfulness, gardening skills and creative projects. A small snack will be provided as well.

Register

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Northgate students entering first through seventh grades this upcoming school year are invited to attend a FREE summer camp at AHN Suburban!

The Assemble a Half Day Summer Camp runs 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, from June 24 to Aug. 2. Each week, students will explore different themes, including Afrofuturism, chemistry, engineering, board game design, and geology! Spots are limited. Click below to learn more!

Register

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Students entering grades 5-8 this upcoming school year are invited to attend the Arts Greenhouse "Journal Week" at AHN Suburban from Aug. 5-9!

Register

The Northgate High School Class of 2024 reflected on their time together during their commencement ceremony at Alumni Field on June 6, while district leaders praised the graduates for their work and growth over the years.

In her commencement speech, Superintendent Dr. Caroline Johns told graduates in the Class of 2024 to embrace their uniqueness and let it guide them to make positive impacts in the world.

“As you step into the next chapter of your lives, remember that every ending is a new beginning filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and make a difference,” Dr. Johns said. “As one of our most famous and beloved Pittsburgh neighbors, Mr. Rogers, once said: ‘Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.’ He also reminded us, ‘There’s no person in the whole world like you.’”

High School Principal Dr. Nicole Smith reflected on teaching the class English when they were in the seventh grade, and the joy she has experienced watching them grow over the years.

“You have come a long way since those seventh grade days,” she said. “You have faced challenges and obstacles, celebrated victories, and learned from setbacks. Each of you has grown not only in knowledge, but in character. You have become leaders, artists, scientists, athletes, and most importantly, compassionate and thoughtful individuals.”

Valedictorian Erin King told her classmates that they had overcome a variety of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, during their educational careers to accomplish great things.

“Congratulations to each and every one of my fellow graduates who have worked diligently on their studies to be here tonight earning their high school diploma,” she said. “This success wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the dedication and commitment to one’s goals. I implore you to commit yourself to 100% to anything you do in life.”

Salutatorian Anthony Demangone encouraged his peers to remember to appreciate the simpler moments in life and cherish the time spent with loved ones as they set out on a new chapter in their lives.

“The next time you are with the people you love or doing something you enjoy, remember that you’re doing what’s most important,” he said.

Watch the entire Commencement Ceremony here.