#NorthgateProud
The health and well-being of our Northgate family is our highest priority. The district will maintain frequent communication in the coming weeks as this ongoing situation evolves. We will continue to follow the guidance from the Allegheny County Health Department, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control during the closure, and reevaluate as necessary.
We recognize that this closure is a disruption to our students, staff and families. This is a challenging time, and we thank you for your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we make responsible decisions to keep our community safe and limit the spread of COVID-19.
If you have not been receiving our emails, please complete this short form so we can update your information.
Avalon Elementary
Entry: Students or family members will enter at the auditorium. Two lines will be formed by grade level at each entrance of the auditorium. Each person in line will be six feet apart and this will be marked by tape. There will be tables set on either side of the auditorium with the students' belongings As per state guidelines, there can be no more than 25 people in the building. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK.
Exit: Once materials are collected, students will exit through a designated door that corresponds with the line they entered. One exit will be via the right of the auditorium and the other will be the door left of the auditorium.
Please contact Dr. Peacock with any questions/concerns (jpeacock@northgatesd.net).
Pick Up Times:
Monday May 18th:
9:00-12:00: Grade 1 & 4
Wednesday May 20th:
9:00-12:00: Grade 2 & 6
Thursday May 21st:
9:00-12:00: Grade 3 & Kindergarten
Friday May 21st:
9:00-11:00: Grade 5
Bellevue Elementary:
Entry: Students will enter on the side door by the football field. A line will be formed from the door out to the faculty parking lot. Each person in line will be six feet apart and this will be marked by tape. There will be one staff person at the door and another staff person escorting students to the classroom. As per guidelines, there can be no more than 25 people in the building. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK.
Exit: Once materials are collected, students will exit back out the side door by the football field turning right and walking down the steps to exit at the playground.
Please contact Mr. Primrose with any questions/concerns about pick-up (jprimrose@northgatesd.net).
Pick Up Times:
Monday May 18th:
9:00-11:00: Grade 3
12:00-2:00: Grade 6
Tuesday May 19th:
9:00-11:00: Grade 4
12:00-2:00: Grade 2
Wednesday May 20th:
9:00-11:00: Kindergarten
12:00-2:00: Grade 5
Thursday May 21st:
9:00-11:00: Grade 1
12:00-2:00: Pre-K
As a school district we understand that so many of our families are facing very difficult circumstances. While we work to develop systems to deliver education virtually, we also want to communicate new procedures we are putting in place.
There have been a lot of questions about how we will grade student work during this unprecedented time. Our goal was to develop a plan that was fair to our students while they are going through difficult circumstances. At the same time, we want to give timely and ongoing feedback to all students as they work to continue their learning remotely.
As such, we will move to a Pass/Fail system of grading for the fourth quarter with a 60% cut off. To provide a letter grade for transcripts, previous performance will be taken into account. If a student receives a Pass, they will receive the highest letter grade from their previous three quarters. If a Fail is earned by the student, they will receive the lowest grade from the previous three quarters.
For example:
A student earned an 84%, a 76%, and a 91% during the first three quarters.
If they pass during the fourth quarter, they would receive a 91% A in the fourth quarter.
If they fail during the fourth quarter, they would receive a 76% C in the fourth quarter.
Grading Summary:
Please encourage your students to continue to put forth their best effort. We are hopeful that by working together we can create a positive learning experience during this difficult time. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions and/or if your child needs additional support. These are truly trying times, but together we will get through this.
Because we will not be returning to school this year, I would like to share some information concerning your child's meal account.
K-11 students with a positive balance:
Your child’s account balance will be held by the district and carried over to next year. This applies even if your child is moving to a different school building next year. If you are moving out of the district, or would prefer to have a refund of your balance for any other reason, please complete this form and we will refund your money.
K-11 students with a negative balance:
If your child’s balance is negative, please pay the amount due by visiting www.payschoolscentral.com or send in a check payable to Northgate Cafeteria to the following address: 591 Union Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa 15202. Please include your child’s name in the memo section of the check.
If you need to set-up a payment plan please contact Julianne Griffin at 412-732-3300 ext 1009.
Refunds of remaining account balances for seniors will be handled as follows:
Parents/guardians can request that the balance be transferred to a sibling, refunded, or donated by filling out this form.
The refund process could take up to eight weeks to complete once the forms are completed. Questions about these procedures can be directed to Julianne Griffin at 412-732-3300 ext. 1009 or jgriffin@northgatesd.net
We continue to distribute free meals to any child age 18 and younger Monday-Friday at our secondary building, door A2, from 11 am-12:30 pm.
Thank you and please tell your children that the school lunch staff wishes them well, especially our seniors.
Dear Curtains Cast, Crews, Pit, Parents, Volunteers and Staff,
The Covid-19 virus made it necessary to postpone the musical. While most schools canceled their shows immediately, the administration and musical staff chose to look at other options. I met with the senior cast members and their parents, who agreed that keeping the hope of performing was worth the emotional risk of eventually being forced to cancel.
I am heartbroken and disappointed to announce that our production of Curtains is now canceled.
I want you to know that the School Board, Dr. Johns, Mr. Kyle, the Directors, and Staff were holding out hope for a live streaming performance in mid-June. All of us were willing to go above and beyond to make the live stream performance a reality, but it is now certain that due to Covid-19 the curtain has fallen on this year’s musical. The latest word from the governor is that new cases of the virus will keep us closed beyond the opportunity to perform.
We began our joyous journey in December, filling the auditorium with song, dance, friendship, and laughter. It is bittersweet that we will not see the curtain open on performances that I know would have delighted and amazed our audiences. I am so proud of everyone involved. Your spirit, kindness, courage, and dedication always inspire me. Although you did not get to have an opening night and final bows, it does not in any way lessen the applause that you deserve.
I need to thank my staff, the parents, and volunteers. I need to praise all of our students on their growth and accomplishments. I hope to do this in a more personal way at a later date.
There are many questions concerning "business" items such as advertisements, tickets, and t-shirts. You will be receiving additional information on these important items as soon as we have worked out the details.
I think we will all need some time to work through this and look for positive ways to bring closure.
During these many weeks of uncertainty and waiting, the cast and directors stayed in touch through virtual cast meetings. Sometimes we brainstormed new ideas, sometimes we had guest speakers, but most often the cast just enjoyed seeing each other and spending time with friends and the directors.
In the spirit of the “Half Hour Call” meetings, I will have the Google Musical Classroom ‘door open’ on Monday, May 11 from 4-5 pm and again from 7-8 pm. Students and parents are welcome to ‘stop in’ and talk. I also plan to continue the regular Thursday, 4 pm meetings as long as students are interested and school is in session.
Take good care of yourselves,
Mrs. Klicker
This morning, Governor Wolf announced that all schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Therefore, we will continue with online learning following the recently revised school calendar which is available on our website. Over the next week, the administrative team will be working on alternate plans for the musical, prom, high school graduation and other end of the year celebrations such as kindergarten and 6th grade graduation ceremonies. As soon as plans are finalized, we will share them with families.
At this time, we are aware that a number of our families are experiencing a prolonged power outage. Please do not worry if your child is not able to login. We are taking into account the current situation.
As a reminder, tomorrow is a school holiday but we will be continuing our grab and go meal service. This is available to any child under the age of 18 years old and can be picked up at the Middle/High School between 11-12:30 p.m.
We recognize how hard this situation has been on our families and now especially for our families who are without power. As always, please do not hesitate to let us know what we can do to support you. One thing I learned about the Northgate community early on is it is a community built on grit and resilience. Your willingness to support each other during times of trouble is always evident and will go a long way in helping everyone navigate the seemingly endless challenges we face today. Please know we are thinking about you and I have no doubt we will get through this.
Well we made it through our first week of online learning. Thank you to all of our families for your patience and feedback on what’s been going well and the challenges you’re experiencing. This feedback helps us make the necessary changes to make this work for our students and families. I encourage all of our families to continue to be in regular contact with your child’s teachers regarding any questions you might have or needed supports.
The second announcement is in regards to the school calendar. The Northgate Board of Directors approved a revised calendar which is now available on our website. A couple of highlights: Spring Break has been shortened to Friday, April 10. April 28, which was originally an inservice day, is now a regular instruction day. The last day of school for all students, including seniors, is Friday, June 5.
Finally, we have reworked our internal procedures so that students can now check in for attendance anytime during the day. We listened to our families concerns and hope this will help eliminate some stress. However, it still is important that students do check in as we are required to report our attendance to the state.
As a reminder, we are serving a Grab and Go lunch and breakfast at the Middle/High school Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. This meal is free to anyone under the age of 18 years old. Also, we will be serving meals on April 10 even though this is not a school day.
We hope all of you are hanging in and staying well. Please be in touch if there is anything we can do to support you. In the meantime, have a Northgreat weekend.
We were informed by the Department of Education that all schools are to remain closed until further notice. Therefore, students will not be returning on April 9 and at this time we do not have a date for their return. We will continue to keep you updated.
We will be offering another opportunity for students to borrow a device to use for online learning. This is for families who do not have technology or are having difficulties with the technology they currently have in the home. Pick up will be available this Wednesday, April 1 at the Middle High School front lobby from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Please be sure to adhere to social distancing guidelines by maintaining at least 6 feet between you and other people.
With today being the first official day of online learning, we expect that many families are experiencing a significant learning curve. I encourage everyone to work in small chunks so as not to get overwhelmed. This is a learning process for all of us which will require a significant amount of patience and support. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or principal to let them know what challenges you are experiencing. This information will help us better provide the needed supports for our families.
Thank you and be well.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has announced that all schools in the state will remain closed for students until April 9. As a result of this extended closure, the Northgate School District will move all instruction to an online platform using Google Classroom. The first official day of mandatory online instruction will be Monday, March 30. If you have not been receiving our emails, please complete this short form so we can update your information. Below you will find additional information about expectations for attendance and instruction.
We recognize that this is a big shift for many of our families. Please be sure to communicate any difficulties you are experiencing to your child’s principal and teachers. We expect there to be challenges along the way and are committed to working with our families to address them.
Attendance
Students will need to complete a short survey each day in order to be counted present for attendance purposes. The link to the attendance survey will be posted on each teacher’s Google Classroom, and each student needs to complete the survey once per day. Students do not need to complete a survey for each course.
Instruction
While we are unable to meet face to face, instruction will be happening digitally. The platform that our district teachers are using is Google Classroom. Through this platform, teachers will be able to post multimedia resources for instruction, host real-time meetings, and collect student work. It is very important that students log on regularly, communicate with their teacher, and complete the work that is assigned.
Teachers will be available for regular office hours and to assist students who might be struggling with either the technology or the course content. A guide for accessing Google Classroom and all codes for accessing your students’ classes can be found on our website northgatesd.net. All other access questions can be answered by emailing your students’ teachers.
We want to make the most of this time and maximize student learning. This will require a team effort, and we appreciate your support at home. Please create a schedule for your students, encourage them to complete assignments on time, and communicate regularly with their teachers.
Home Internet:
We know that not everyone has the internet at their home, but right now this service is very important to the instruction that we are sending to our students. Comcast is offering a FREE option for all of our families during this difficult time.
As the country deals with the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Comcast is taking immediate steps to help connect more low-income families to the Internet at home. Effective Monday, March 16, anyone who signs up for Internet Essentials will receive two free months of Internet service. Comcast is also increasing the speed of the program to 25 Mbps downloads, and 3 Mbps uploads for all new and existing customers.
After your first two free months expire, you can either cancel the service (which you can do at any time) or keep it as a regular paying Internet Essentials customer. You will receive an easy to use self-install-kit that includes a cable modem (to receive service at your home) with a WiFi router (to connect your devices without wires). There is no term contract or credit check and no shipping fee for equipment. Comcast contact for this program is 855-846-8376.
Communications
District communications will continue to be shared through robocalls, our website, Facebook and emails. If you have not been receiving school emails, please go to our website to provide updated information. A short survey is posted on our website where you will be able to provide your information.
In closing, I want our families to know that we remain sensitive to the many hardships and challenges being faced by our community during these unprecedented times. Please know that we are here ready to assist you and your child. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to myself, your child’s principal and teachers.
All schools have been ordered to remain closed until Thursday, April 9. Therefore, we will begin regular online instruction on Monday, March 30. A letter is forthcoming which will provide more specific details about how online instruction will work.
For families with children who do not have access to a device in the home, we do have a limited number of devices that we will be loaning to families. Please keep in mind that students do not have to be logged in at any certain time to access instruction. This is being done purposefully so families are able to share a device.
For families needing to pick up a device, we will be distributing them this Wednesday through Friday in the front lobby of the Middle/High School. We are only allowing one device per household. For families with last names ending in A-M, pick up is Wednesday 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For families with names ending in N-Z, pick up is Thursday 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For anyone not able to pick up on their appointed day, we will have pick up available on Friday during the same timeframe.
When you arrive, please line up at the front door keeping a minimum of 6 feet between you and the person in front of you. Do not enter the lobby until the person in front of you has exited.
By now families should have received a packet of educational resources from the district. If you have not, please contact your building principal via email.
Moving forward, the Department of Education has now released guidance indicating schools can move to a fully online platform to provide instruction. These days will count towards the 180 instructional day requirement. We are in the process of planning for this should the school closure extend beyond two weeks. Currently, we are finalizing plans to get devices to our students who do not have them and we are working to ensure our students with disabilities have their needs met. Should the closure be extended, our first day of full online instruction will be Monday, March 30. In the meantime, we encourage our families to take full advantage of the resources that have been provided to help maintain academic skills.
There have been some questions about upcoming events. At this time, no events have been canceled. The kindergarten registration event will be rescheduled. The spring musical will also be postponed to allow the cast and crew time to adequately prepare. As soon as we have updated dates for these events, we will communicate them to our families. At this time, Prom and Graduation are still on their regularly scheduled dates.
Thank you for your patience as we navigate through these unprecedented circumstances.
The first update is packets of educational materials are in the process of being mailed home. These packets contain Google Classroom information and, for the younger grades, hard copy materials. Please use these resources to help your child maintain academic skills during the closure. Students are not required to complete these activities but we strongly encourage them to do so. Please note, all work provided during the closure will focus on review. We are not providing new instruction and no work will count towards a grade.
The second update is that we are closing the third quarter effective this past Friday. If your child has make-up work to do, this can be completed and submitted at this time. Please contact your child’s individual teacher via email with any questions.
The final update is in regards to meal pick up. A “grab and go” lunch and breakfast for the next day will be provided for all students beginning tomorrow Tuesday, March 17. These meals can be picked up at the Middle/High School between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. When you arrive, please enter the cafeteria at the entrance marked A2. The pick-up will be immediately inside the door. After you pick up your meal, please follow the arrows to the designated exit door. If there is a line outside, please be sure to put space between yourself and the person in front of you. As a reminder, per federal regulations the child needs to be present to pick up a meal.
Families who need to pick-up prescription medications from the nurse's office can do so Monday, March 16 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. When you enter the building you do not need to check in at the office. You can go directly to the nurse's office. While we are discouraging people from entering the buildings, if your child left a necessary item in the building you may also pick it up during these times.
The Northgate School District will be closed March 16 - March 27. We will begin offering free “Grab & Go” meals to ALL students in the district beginning Tuesday, March 17. The meals will consist of a lunch and breakfast for the next day. They will be distributed from the Middle/High School between 11 and 12:30 p.m. We have reviewed closely the recommendations and regulations set by the USDA in order to determine all of our options. Based on these, we are limiting distribution to the Middle/High School and the student must be present to pick up the meal as required by federal regulations.
Due to the growing concerns about COVID-19 and in consultation with regional school districts and other agencies, the Northgate School District will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16 with students returning on Monday, March 30. We are currently finalizing plans for online learning, and we will be distributing instructional materials at the beginning of next week. More information regarding this will be available Monday. We have also submitted an emergency waiver to the Department of Education requesting permission to continue meal service for our students in the free and reduced lunch program.
A google classroom has been created for Northgate's class of 2020. The Northgate Senior Google Classroom was established to provide seniors with the information they need to have pertaining to their senior year. Information regarding scholarship application deadlines, graduation, attendance and senior recognition events have all been shared to date in this classroom.
Parents and guardians, who have a current email address in the student database, have also been invited to join this google classroom. If you need assistance accessing the classroom please contact Mr. Talbert at btalbert@northgatesd.net
The guidance department will continue to share information with students through this classroom in addition to other forms of communication used by the district. Students are free to ask questions and share information in the classroom as well.
I hope you are all doing well as we navigate through this period of difficulty and change. While I have been thinking about all of our Northgate families, it is our seniors and their families who are foremost in my thoughts. As parents and high school students, we look forward to senior year with great anticipation. It is an exciting time to celebrate accomplishments, and it is a bittersweet time as this chapter in life closes. In addition, this year brings with it unprecedented disruption and uncertainty.
Moving forward, the administrative team and a committee composed of parents, board members and a student representative are working together to make sure senior year is special for the Class of 2020. Below you will find the most current information about several of our milestone events. Our goal is to have as many “in-person” events as possible knowing that they will likely have to be modified to meet the restrictions set by the state. Please know that we will continue to monitor what is occurring at the state level and will make adjustments as needed. In addition to these events, our committee is working on even more ways to recognize and celebrate our seniors.
Senior Awards Night: Plans are in process to have this be a live stream event on June 4.
Prom: Prom has been rescheduled for June 19 and will be held at the PPG Aquarium. However, if restrictions are still in place that would not allow us to have the event, we will reschedule for later in the summer.
Graduation Ceremony: Our annual graduation has been rescheduled for June 20. If we are able to hold the ceremony on this date, we anticipate having to follow certain social distancing guidelines and are developing a plan that would allow us to do this. If state restrictions are such that we are not able to have the ceremony in June, the alternate dates for graduation are July 10 and August 7.
We know several of our seniors will be leaving the week of June 22 to pursue their future plans so we are hoping these dates do not have to change.
I know we all wish this year was different for our seniors. However, we are committed to making this the best senior year possible despite the circumstances. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through the details and make changes as necessary.
Sincerely,
Caroline Johns, Ed.D.
Superintendent
I realize that the current situation has been difficult for everyone, but I also recognize that it is especially difficult for our seniors. This year is a special one for you intended to be filled with celebrations and Northgate traditions. I know the situation we are now experiencing has upended your expectations for the year, but I also want you to know that your class is foremost in our thoughts. Despite what is occurring, we intend to make this year special for you.
At this time, Prom and Graduation are still on their regularly scheduled dates. My intent is to keep our events as scheduled unless directed otherwise by the Governor. The health and safety of our community are our top priority. Should the situation necessitate a change in our plans, we will work towards rescheduling them to a date when it is safe to do so.
Please know that you are all weighing heavy on my heart. I wish your senior year was exactly as hoped for but we know that isn’t going to be the case. As things stand, I believe we have a choice to make. While there is so much that is out of our control, we can choose to focus on that or we can begin to rethink senior year. Personally, I choose to believe in the Class of 2020. I believe you are going to be uniquely special because of the hardships you are experiencing this year. I believe you are going to have an empathy that goes beyond what would normally be expected in an 18 year old. I believe that the empathy you are developing now will be used for the good of others once you travel out into the world (but not yet!) I believe that you are going to rise above this current challenge and rethink what senior year can look like. I believe when we look back at the senior year of the Class of 2020, we are going to think to ourselves, “Wow, they were amazing.”
Let’s do this seniors! Start thinking of some creative ways to make this year special in a virtual world. Let me know your ideas and what we can do to support you. My email is cjohns@northgatesd.net.
In closing, I want to share with you a thought I had back in February. Late winter is usually when I start thinking about my graduation speech. I start playing with ideas in my head and by March I typically have an outline. This past February, I found myself at a loss for ideas as nothing particularly remarkable had happened in the past year. Obviously that changed in a big way. As I now think about this speech, I am considering how I can make it unique and how it can honor the year you are experiencing.
We’re in this together, and we will prevail.
Sincerely,
Dr. Caroline Johns
Superintendent
We are continuing our lunch/breakfast meal distribution through the end of the school year. Due to a revision in the federal guidelines, children do not have to be present to pick-up the meal. If the child is not present, the adult is required to provide the child's name and what school they attend. For children who are not school-aged, the adult must provide the family name.
The health and well-being of our Northgate family is our highest priority. The district will maintain frequent communication in the coming weeks as this ongoing situation evolves. Per the order by Governor Wolf, the Northgate School District will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. Virtual instruction will be provided per the Northgate Continuity of Education plan.
