Norwin to expand in-class elementary teaching

Norwin plans to give its 1,850 elementary school students the option of returning to school four days a week beginning Feb. 15, which doubles the number of in-class instruction days under the hybrid instruction model Norwin has used since school began.

Superintendent Jeff Taylor said students in the four elementary schools who opt to return to the classroom will continue to receive remote instruction on Wednesdays. The current hybrid model offers two days of in-class instruction with three days of remote learning.

Families can decide that their elementary school children will receive four days of remote learning with synchronous instruction, with teachers instructing online students the same time as their scheduled classes.

If more planning time is required, Taylor said, the implementation will be delayed.

“I think we all can agree that in-person instruction is the most beneficial educational environment for the overwhelming majority of our students,” Taylor said. “Student and staff safety will remain our district’s highest priority while ensuring the best possible education for our students.”

Taylor noted that the number of covid cases in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area is “moving in the right direction,” and the the anticipated post-holiday spike in covid cases never occurred. Westmoreland County covid-19 cases have gone down significantly compared to the pre-Christmas levels. The spread of new covid cases in the area has declined to the point that there was just a 1.8% increase from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1 in the four ZIP codes covering most of the school district.

The decline in the spread of covid in the community, combined with a recent joint statement from the state departments of education and health, solidified the district’s decision to implement more in-person instruction for the elementary school students.

The Norwin Online Academy will remain an option for the elementary school students. Students in grades 5-12 will be included in plans for future instruction phases, Taylor said.

Norwin families will get more information and a survey link that will require parents of kindergarten to fourth grade students to choose an education model. Those parents will need to complete the survey by Feb. 8 for each elementary school student in their family.