Northwestern School District • 100 Harthan Way, Albion PA 16401 • 814.756.9400
Home of the Wildcats • Mr. Greg Lehman, Superintendent
Northwestern High School • Northwestern Middle School • Northwestern Elementary • Springfield Elementary
Tamarack Wildlife Center Visits 3rd Graders
Our Northwestern Elementary 3rd Graders had a hoot of a time with the Tamarack Wildlife Rehab Center! An expert recently visited our students to teach them all about Pennsylvania’s native owls, including the tiny Eastern Screech Owl and the powerful Great Horned Owl.
Students learned about owl adaptations, their role in the ecosystem, and even got to see these amazing birds up close! Thank you, Tamarack Wildlife, for an unforgettable experience that brought science to life!
Middle School Students Take a Maple Tour
Middle school science classes took a tour with our very own Melissa Mattocks on Friday. Melissa serves as the NW PA Maple Syrup Ambassador. She showed the students how maple syrup sap is collected, refined, boiled and bottled at the sugar shack behind the high school with Mr. Honeycutt. Mr. Honeycutt also talked about the FFA, agricultural sciences and how these link to the sugar shack and other high school classes.
NHS Pincipal's Cabinet News
Our student led principal's cabinet has been busy in the month of March with two of our members, Sophie Brooks and Daniel Peppers pictured above, presenting positive talks to our middle school students on transitioning to the high school, leadership and being a positive influence to their peers.
Furthermore, our principal's cabinet, teachers and administration has selected our #PAWSForward winners for March, these students were awarded a free breakfast!
9th Grader Sarah Gianamore who exhibits the (Active) trait for someone who is active in clubs and activities
10th Grader Autumn Huyck (not pictured) who exhibits the (willing) trait for someone who is willing to go above and beyond to help others
11th Grader Gunner Hiebner who exhibits the (strong) trait for someone who is strong in mind and motivation
12th Grader Jacob Mooney who exhibits the (positive) trait for someone who is respectful to teachers and classmates
Congratulations to all four students who were selected!
Attention all 7th and 8th graders interested in participating in track and field.
First day of track and field practice is on Monday, March 31, 2025. Students must have a physical or recertification form in order to practice.
Physicals will be provided at the school on Tuesday, March 25 and Tuesday, April 1 at 3:00 PM in the athletic trainers room. Cost is $15.
Parents and athletes must complete sections 1-5 of the physical packet in order for the team doctor to complete the physical.
If you have already participated in a sport this school year, you will only need a recertification form.
Physical packets and recertification forms are located in Mr. Miller's room or at https://www.nwsd.org/athletics
If you choose to get your physical at your family physician, you will still need to use the same form.
NWSD Board Meetings
Reminders to the public:
All agendas for study session and voting meetings are available for viewing on BoardDocs (click icon to the left), the Friday before the scheduled meetings, typically posted around 4pm.
Minutes are posted in BoardDocs once approved at the next month's voting meeting.
When joining meetings via the Zoom link below for view & listen only access, technology issues may arise that may be beyond the district's control, or the Board may be in an executive session.
Recordings of the study session and voting meetings are always available the following day via BoardDocs. The recordings remain posted until the following month's meeting.
ZOOM Information for VIEW only:
If you wish to address the Board as a scheduled visitor, please contact the Superintendent's office by 1:30pm on the day of the meeting at 814-756-9400. Unscheduled visitors may sign in upon arrival at the meeting and will be called on by the Board President at the appropriate time. Anyone wishing to address the Board is asked to attend in-person.
The agendas are available the Friday afternoon (by 4pm) before each meeting and can be viewed by clicking on the BoardDocs link to the left or in the Quick Access Links below (red section).
The Northwestern School District Board of Directors will hold the following meetings in April.
-Monday, April 7, 2025 at 10:00am Policy/Personnel/Finance Committee in District Office Conference Room
-Monday, April 7, 2025 at 6:00pm Building/Grounds Committee in District Office Conference Room
-Monday, April 7, 2025 at 6:30pm Education Committee in District Office Conference Room
-Monday, April 14, 2025 at 7:00pm Board Study Session Meeting in District Office Conference Room
-Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 7:00pm Board Voting Meeting in District Office Conference Room
The NWSD is in the process of updating the Special Education Plan to ensure that all special education programs are appropriate, compliant, and effective. An updated plan must be submitted every three (3) years to the PA Department of Education. As required by PDE under 22 Pa. Code § 14.104, it is being shared here for public review and comment prior to Board approval. Please reach out to Kristen Rutkowski, Director of Special Education with any concerns.
Special Education _ 2025 - 2028 (1).docx
2025 Testing Schedule
2025 NWSD Testing Schedule (1).pdfCongratulations to our very own, Mr. Honeycutt, for being nominated for the Outstanding Service Award through the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators! Also, our NHS Agricultural Education program has been nominated for the Outstanding Agricultural Education Program Award. According to the letter received by the district, "this honor is a testament to their dedication, excellence in agricultural education, and commitment to student success."
We are so very fortunate to offer these educational opportunities to our Wildcats!
Weekend with the Arts 2025
Mark your calendars for the annual event showcasing lots of talent from our students. The weekend is full of activities including a Car Show, Mud Monster Truck Show, Sip and Paint event, and of course, lots of arts and crafts will be for sale.
Reminder: Mrs. Chase would like RSVPs for the Sip and Paint Event, please email her at nchase@nwsd.org.
Class of 2025....it's time to start thinking about scholarship opportunities. Please check out the available scholarships at this link, https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1muLsq0praHWX6gcVfAvgUIGd7wwRHeUi?usp=drive_link. Also, the guidance office has information available in their office.
AmeriCorps Week
March 9-15 is AmeriCorps Awareness Week. Northwestern Middle School wants to thank Ms. Howells for all her help supporting academics for our Wildcats!
Congratulations to the nine students who attended the Northwest PA ESports Regional Championship held by IU5 at Penn West Edinboro on Friday, February 28th. (Dalton Stevens, Noah Prest, Alexander Lincoln, James Clark, Corbin Bouley, Joseph Warren, Aidan Kreider, John Sargent, Jack Brown, and Advisor Andy Canfield)
The Wildcats swept both competitions: James Clark was the Super Smash Bros champion, and Joseph, Aidan, Corbin, John, and Jack were the Rocket League champions. Though it was their first day playing together, the Wildcats came together to overcome Cochranton, North East, Erie High, Corry, and McDowell.
Great job, Wildcats!
Juniors Attend Ethics Symposium
On Tuesday, Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Wolford took a group of Northwestern juniors to represent our school district at the 2025 Ethics Symposium hosted by the Rotary Club of Erie and Mercyhurst University. Throughout the day, these students had many opportunities to engage with their peers from across other county schools and critically think about different ethical scenarios.Northwestern was well-represented - these juniors were extremely respectful and engaged the entire day! Go, Cats!
Northwestern Elementary Holds Family Math Night
Northwestern Elementary hosted a family fun math night with Nifty Numbers! Families came to explore fractions, counting, expressions, patterns, and more. Each station had different difficulty levels to match every child's needs. Parents loved spending time learning with their children and everyone got a take home kit with math games to play with the whole family.
Flexible Instruction Day - Student (2).pdfFlexible Instruction Days
Our administration and Board of Directors have researched and decided to incorporate the use of Flexible Instruction Days as an option when inclement weather occurs in our area. These days will not replace our traditional process of cancelling due to weather, but will simply allow the district another option for meeting the day/hour requirement for our students’ education.
The calendar will continue to have built-in snow makeup days, and it will be at the discretion of district administration as to the use of either option. The selection of a regular cancellation or Flexible Instruction Day will be clearly indicated in the notification that you receive.
The document to the left outlines the expectations of our students if a Flexible Instruction Day is the better suited option. The document will be placed on our district website so you can reference it at any time. Thank you.
Our after school MELIA students have been enjoying their new Makerspace! Their project for the month of January was, "I Am Not A Sock." Check out a few of their creations!
PMEA District 2 Band Festival Participants
1.27.2025--The following students participated in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 2 Band Festival over the weekend. Four of the six students received chair placements and one student, Bryce Miller, will represent Northwestern at the Region 2 Band Festival at United High School in March. Congratulations to all of our Wildcat musicians!
Bryce Miller - Alto 1, First Chair and Advancing
Carli Swyers - Trumpet 2, First Chair
Hallie Johnson - Flute 2, Second Chair
Bryce Burtt - Alto 1, Third Chair
Madalyn Prenatt - Euphonium
Daniel Peppers - Trombone 1
Regional PJAS Competition Winners!
Congratulations to the following students for their accomplishments at the Regional PJAS competition this past Saturday. Sanjana Kumar - first place, Emerson Swanson- first place, Dolan Feltenberger- first place, Hannah Adams- second place, Jordyn Barzano, second place, and Faith Giannamore- second place. The first place finishers will be moving on to the state competition in May.
New School Police Officer
Officer Fox was approved at the January 21, 2025 Board voting meeting. He brings over 30 years of experience in law enforcement to our district. If you see him out and about in the buildings and at upcoming events, please be sure to introduce yourself and welcome him to our district!
Here's a sneak peek of the proposed Outdoor Events Facility. Thank you to all of the community who attended in-person on January 16th! We appreciate your support and feedback. More information will be shared as the Board progresses in the decision-making process.
Middle School Chess Tournament
Thirty-two students recently competed in the Middle School Chess Tournament. We wish congratulations to the finalists: In second place, winning a $15 gift card to Valenza was Dylan Zappitella (L). In third place, winning home-baked cookies was Lucian Ogorkiewicz (C). And this year's chess champion, winning a beautiful new chess set, is Roland Howells (R).
And a huge thank you to Valenza Restaurant for donating a gift card!
The AP Seminar students will be writing a seven-page, evidence-based argument in the coming weeks, and their writing must cite one of the AP's challenging 'stimulus sources.' With that in mind, the Seminar class attended a field trip to Gannon University with Seminar students from Fairview, General McLane, and McDowell. Our students collaborated with 100 of their peers to deeply analyze these sources and generate topics for research.
Middle School Geography Bee
Congratulations to the finalists of this year's Middle School Geography Bee! From left to right: Benny Zimmer (2nd), Vivian Baumgardner (1st), and Trevor Start (3rd). And a HUGE thank you to Big Irene's Little Diner for donating a $20 gift card!
The Landscape Construction & Greenhouse Management classes have been hard at work here on the high school campus. Mr. Mattocks is helping his students learn the process of laying pavers the proper way. This activity involves real-world mathematical applicability, as well as service to the school. The front entrance is looking better every day. We are proud to be "paving the way" in Agricultural education within our region. Nice work Mr. Mattocks and students!
Northwestern Elementary Kicks Off One Book, One School.mp4One Book, One School Kickoff
Northwestern Elementary kicked off another One School, One Book event on Friday. Students gathered together and received clues about their next book. They saw farm animals, a barn, a spider, a silly rat at the county fair, and a real live pig! After getting all the clues, the students unwrapped their books and the title was revealed: Charlotte's Web! The students were so excited, some of them even opened their books and wanted to start reading right there in the assembly! We can't wait to experience this book together as a whole school.
Thank you to every teacher and parent that helped put this all together!
2024-2025 School Calendar
REVISION 2 Approved 7.15.2024-REVISED 2024-2025 Calendar Board Revised 4.15.2024.pdfReminder-Indoor Walking Permitted
From November 5th through April 1st, residents are permitted to walk in the hallways of the middle/high school.
Approved Comprehensive Plan (10.16.2023)
Below are several links to the various components of the proposed NWSD Comprehensive Plan. The plan as presented below was Board approved on October 16, 2023.
Northwestern is excited to announce that we have been selected as a recipient of grant funding to support our dual credit program. Read all about it here, https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/education-details.aspx?newsid=1381
Menus are available via this link.
NW At A Glance
For more information on COVID, please click on the COVID Information tab above.
Check out the latest Facebook post from NWSD
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.
Congratulations to Bryce Burtt and Hallie Johnson for their excellent performance at the PMEA Regional Chorus Festival at McDowell High School.
Fifth grade musicians from Northwestern and Springfield Elementary recently attended the PMEA Chorus Festival at North East High School. Proud of our young Wildcats!