North Hills district approves several curriculum changes

Students in North Hills School District will see several curriculum changes next year, including starting computer literacy and keyboardingin kindergarten.

The school board on Feb. 8 approved changes in computers,family and consumer science and world languages

Elizabeth Spicer, elementary library and media literacy coordinator, said they have had a keyboarding pilot in kindergarten through grade three at McIntyre Elementary, and the department wants to implement computer literacy as a graded course in kindergarten through sixth grade. The course would be put into a six-day rotation with other specialsubject areas, such as artand music.

The course would include digital citizenship, keyboarding, word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia presentationsand coding.

“Our students have to be computer literate to be collegeand career-ready,” Ms. Spicer said. “They need problem-solving and thinkingskills for the future.”

The course would not only focus on computer skills, but how those skills can support the current elementary curriculum,sheadded.

“We truly need this, and we truly need to have teachers specifically for computers,” said board member Kathy Reid.

Ms. Spicer agreed. “It is very hard for all of us to keep up with technology and we need experts to teach our students.”

In family and consumer science, a college-in-highschool (CHS) class on child growth and development will be started with Seton Hill University, and will include “My Virtual Child,” which students would raise from birth to age 18.

“No two students in the class will have the same experience,” said department chair Amy Patsilevas.

Another new course will be the future of food, including sustainable food, ecosystems and food production and food manufacturing and processing. A herb garden will be built outside the classroom,Ms. Patsilevas said.

In world languages, the district will align with the University of Pittsburgh for CHS in all four languages offered: French, German, Latin and Spanish, said department chair Joe Deible.

“(Students) can potentially walk out of NHHS with six credits,” he said.

A long-term goal is to begin language instruction in sixth grade.

Board member Arlene Bender said she is a “strong proponent” of beginning language in elementary school.