Kiski Area begins school year with dual focus on academics, building relationships
Kiski Area High School math teacher Zach Jankowski said teachers took a different approach Thursday on the district’s first day of classes.
“We did not talk about math, English and science. We worked on building relationships with our students to make them feel loved and welcomed back into the building,” Jankowski said.
“Each core subject spoke on a different subject: gratitude, forgiveness, love and compassion,” he added. “We’re trying to build people in addition to building mathematicians and scientists this year.”
That’s not the only thing that’s new in the district this school year.
The school board recently hired Misty Slavic as the district’s next superintendent. She will formally replace Acting Superintendent Jason Lohr on Sept. 16 and, in the process, become the first woman to hold the district’s top administrative post.
As students returned to the high school on Thursday, Principal Chad Roland and a team of teachers and administrators were on hand to greet them.
“It’s exciting to have students back on campus,” Roland said. “Everyone is happy to be back.”
In a sea of students, there was a mix of students wearing masks and not wearing them. The district’s health and safety plan, approved by the school board this month, makes mask-wearing optional for students, staff and visitors in buildings. Masks are required on district buses.
Administrators said the majority of students have chosen to receive in-person instruction five days a week instead of fully remote instruction.
Kiski Area Upper Elementary Principal Brian Swartzlander said only about 20 students are enrolled in virtual classes.
“They want to come back,” Swartzlander said. “We’re just trying to get back to as normal as possible.”
Visitors are being limited as much as possible on all district campuses, and Parent Teacher Organization meetings are being held off campus.
At Kiski Area East Elementary in Vandergrift, Principal Pat Marchand said “very few” of his 425 students in grades K-4 chose virtual learning.
“We’re just getting the kids back to a normal year. Flexibility is the key,” Marchand said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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