Resources

Mission

The Northwestern School District, in partnership with its parents, seeks to instill in its students, high standards for academic scholarship, integrity, leadership, and responsible citizenship.

Vision

Northwestern School District, in partnership with parents and community, will empower students to be successful, responsible citizens whose work ethic and academic skills will prepare them for a continually changing global society. 

Shared Values

We believe

...all students can learn, given the appropriate amount of time and instruction.

...a safe and secure environment must be provided for our students and staff.

...lifelong learning is crucial for success.

...students, parents, community, and staff are partners in the educational process.

...students benefit from diverse learning opportunities.

...the Northwestern School District is a community of learners that values every individual.

...utilizing current technology is fundamental and an integral part of learning.

...a comprehensive curriculum is vital for meeting the needs of all students.

...students learn best when they are actively engaged in learning.

...open communication between all members of the Northwestern community is essential.



Credit Recovery Information

 CREDIT RECOVERY CLASSES
6 weeks of instruction
Course facilitated by Northwestern teachers
Cost: $90 per class

For more details, click here to view or download the Credit Recovery Brochure.


Northwestern Newsletter

 The spring newsletter is now available by visiting this link.  We are proud of what is happening here at Northwestern and hope you will enjoy reading about all of the great things that happen across the district.  Previous newsletters are available under the "Form Downloads" section of our site under the "Other Information" tab.

Looking for Wildcat gear?  Please visit this link to check out spirit wear items available for purchase.


Northwestern High School to Offer Driver Education
 
Northwestern High School will host a summer session 30-hour driver education course beginning June 10 and ending July 3. Classes will be held Monday-Thursday from 8-10 a.m. Cost is $50 with a $25 deposit due by May 31 to the High School Office.


2013 - 2014 Calendar

The 2013-2014 calendar is now available.  It is located under "District Information," then "Calendars."


Scholarship Opportunity

The Board of Directors of the Daniel and Josephine Mikovich Community Foundation, Inc., have announced that applications for college/university scholarships to be awarded for the 2013-2014 academic year are now available. Eligibility for the scholarship requires:
  • Northwestern High School Graduate Candidate or Northwestern High School Graduate
  • Academic Excellence
  • Peer Leadership
  • Personal Initiative (assisting themselves with the expense of education through appropriate employment)
The awards are based on several factors including continued qualifying grade point average and continued status in good standing at the college or university of higher education.

Anyone interested in applying for the Daniel and Josephine Mikovich Community Foundation, Inc., scholarships should request an application from the Northwestern School District’s Administration Office, 100 Harthan Way, Albion, Pennsylvania, or the Senior High Guidance Office, 200 Harthan Way, Albion, Pennsylvania. Applications are also available under the Other Information, Form Downloads link, above.

Completed applications must be returned to the Northwestern School District’s Administration Office no later than Monday, May 13, 2013 for Northwestern High School graduate candidates accepted at a four-year college or university, and Tuesday, September 3, 2013 for Northwestern High School graduates currently attending a four-year college or university.

Keystone Exams

Beginning this year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education is replacing the grade 11 PSSA in mathematics, reading, writing and science with the Keystone Exams.  The Keystone Exams are designed to provide student achievement information and will satisfy the federal requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001.

For more information about the Keystone Exams, please visit this link.


Web Grades Information

The Basmati Web Grades system has been replaced.  While the system has served the district well for approximately fifteen years, it has been replaced with the daily grading system contained within ParentConnect.

Individual scores will now be accessed through ParentConnect by visiting the Student Information links above.  ParentConnect has been in use for more than five years, and previously contained student schedules, marking period grades, attendance records, discipline records, cafeteria balances, and other important student information.

To access grades, visit the Student Information link for the building where your child attends.  If you are unsure of the login ID and password, please contact the school office. 
  • Once you are logged in, click the bottom left button - "Daily Grades."
  • Click a course name from the list that appears in the area to the right.
  • Beneath the course that you clicked, you will see a list of gradebooks for that class.  Because some courses are all year, some courses are two quarters or one semester, and some courses are just one quarter, not all gradebooks will look the same in all courses.
    • Many courses will have a gradebook with "Exam" at the end of its name - this is a holding place for the Final Exam and you will not see grades in that gradebook until an exam is graded.
    • There is a gradebook with the name "Fn" at the end of its name - this is a continuously updating gradebook that shows the overall grade in the course.
    • There are other gradebooks that end in Qtr1, Qtr2, Qtr3, & Qtr4, for all full-year courses.  Courses offered for less than a full year will have gradebooks for whichever quarters they are offered. 
    • The gradebook ending in Qtr4 is where you will find the assignments and scores for this current 4th 9-week marking period.  The current grade will be displayed next to the Qtr4 gradebook.
  • Click the gradebook ending in Qtr4 to view detailed assignments and scores
  • Click the "close gradebook page" button to go back to the list to view grades in another course.

There are several reports available in the Reports area toward the top of the page.  In order to make the transition from Basmati easier, there is a custom report named "Gradebook Quick Look (NWSD)" that is a snapshot of all grades in all classes, similar to what you could see on the main page of the old grading system.

  • Click "Select a Report" near the top of the page.
  • Select "Gradebook Quick Look (NWSD)"
  • Click the printer icon next to "Gradebook Quick Look (NWSD)"
  • For the 4th quarter, click the number 4 in the "Available Values" box, then click the single arrow button between the boxes.  This will move the 4 to the "Selected Values" box on the right side.
  • Click OK
  • This will generate a Gradebook Summary report for all courses offered in Marking Period 4
  • Click "Close Report" when you are done viewing the report.

Grades are posted to ParentConnect several times per day.  Please use the system frequently in order to stay informed about the progress of your child. 


Academic Decathlon Competition

Congratulations to the Academic Sports League Team for an excellent year.  They competed in the State competition on March 8th and 9th, placing 8th in the state against the large, medium, and small schools.  They placed 3rd in the small schools category and won a plaque.
 
They also won 14 medals.
5 gold (social science, art, science, language literature, and essay)
5 silver (speech, art, language literature, music, and math)
4 bronze (economics, music, science, and art)
 
 
The top 8 teams were:
8th 32,278 points Northwestern H.S. (3rd in small schools)
7th 32,984 points Harrington H.S. (5th in large schools)
6th 33,305 points North Clarion H.S. (2nd in small schools)
5th 35,534 points Souderton H.S. (4th in large schools)
4th 40,425 points Moniteau H.S.(1st in small schools)
3rd 40,430 points Collegiate Academy (3rd in large school)
2nd 40,579 points McDowell H.S. (2nd in large schools)
1st 43,854 points North Penn H.S. (1st in large schools)
 
(The team won 56 medals for the year.)
 
 
Next year's topics:  
Social Science: World War I
Economics: Micro economics, macro economics, and the economics during WWI.
Language Arts: The Sun Also Rises (novel), two poems, and two short stories yet to be announced.
Art: European and American 20th century art
Music: Music Theory and 20th century music
Math: Algebra and trigonometry
Science: Introduction to genetics
Essay:
Speech: prepared and impromptu
Interview
 
If anyone is interested in joining A.S.L. next year, please contact Mr. Haskins (CHaskins@nwsd.org).
My Choice..... My Public School is Northwestern School District

The Northwestern School District is very proud of its students and staff and we want everyone to know that we can provide a public education to be proud of.   As a result, we have joined a consortium of Erie County public schools to create a media campaign to share the good news with everyone.  

 

Please click on the link below to see three TV commercials that have been specifically created for our area.  If you look closely you will see some of Northwestern's students and staff highlighted in the pictures.  I hope this helps you to say proudly My Choice….. My Public School is Northwestern School District.

Stayed tuned for more good information!

ECTS Parent Portal

If you are a parent of a student who attends the Erie County Technical School, please visit the new ECTS Parent Portal.  The portal contains many valuable resources, including school information, grades, and attendance.  To access this new resource, please use the link to the "ECTS Parent Portal" located under the "Student Information" tab.
Information for School Volunteers

The Northwestern School District has adopted a policy regarding school volunteers.

The district requires that all volunteers complete and submit three (3) clearances before volunteering in any capacity.

Please visit the "Other Information" - "Form Downloads" section of the website to read the policy and for instructions that will be helpful in obtaining your clearances.


Immunization Requirements

NOTIFICATION OF IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

DON'T WAIT • VACCINATE NOW!

The NEW Pennsylvania immunization requirement for ALL children in grades K - 12, is listed below:

  • 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or history of the disease

The NEW Pennsylvania immunization requirements for ALL children attending 7th grade are listed below:

  • 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or history of the disease
  • 1 dose of tetanus, diptheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap), if 5 years has elapsed since last tetanus immunization
  • 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)

Immunization information is available on our website under "Other Information" - "Form Downloads."

Please visit the PA Dept of Health web site, contact your health care provider, or call 1-877-PA HEALTH for more information.


Olweus Bullying Program 

In order to ensure that all Northwestern students are afforded an opportunity to learn in a safer, more positive environment, Northwestern School District has implemented a comprehensive bullying prevention program utilizing the internationally recognized Olweus Bullying Prevention Program guidelines.

For a definition of what bullying is, how to recognize it, how to assist the Northwestern School District in preventing it, and other important information regarding this program, please click the "Bullying Resources" link to the left of this message.


Cafeteria Balances & Top Menu

Cafeteria balances in ParentConnect are accurate for students as of the date listed in ParentConnect.  This balance is not always updated daily, so please look at the date listed below the balance in ParentConnect.  If you need information about your balance, please contact Mrs. Roberta Roseski at x5264.













District Events Calendar

Calendar Information

The above calendar is feeding events from the NWSD public Google Calendar.  Click an event title to see more details.

Building-specific events are coded as follows

H- indicates a high school event
M- indicates a middle school event
N- indicates a Northwestern Elementary event
S- indicates a Springfield Elementary event

Events for multiple buildings will be coded with more than one code.  For example, H&M- would indicate an event for the high school and middle school.

District-wide events are listed without coding.

A larger view of the calendar is available under the District Information menu, under the Calendars link.