Norwin Board honors state-champion cross-country team, band and student programs

Bill Ogele, president of the Norwin Board of Education, called the Nov. 17 meeting to order and the board opened by recognizing student achievements across the district.

Superintendent McCracken invited the girls cross-country team and their coaches forward to mark their 2025 PIAA 3A state championship. Board members posed for a group photo and offered congratulations; McCracken told the team, “We’re proud of you guys.” He noted the team will compete in a regional competition on Saturday, where top finishers advance to Portland.

McCracken also recognized the varsity football team for qualifying for the 6A football championships, and highlighted the Knights Helping Knights clothing drive, which district staff, volunteers and students ran to provide warm clothing to community members ahead of winter.

The superintendent summarized a range of in-school programs and extracurricular successes: Veterans Day programs at multiple schools, Red Ribbon Week activities (theme: "Life as a puzzle, solve it drug-free"), the Sunset Valley Career Crew program for fourth graders that gives students hands-on roles such as library assistant and safety patrol, and biomedical students’ visit to the Westmoreland County district attorney’s office to explore criminal-justice careers.

McCracken highlighted student-run initiatives — including the Castle Cafe at Hillcrest, a student-run coffee shop — and the high school marching band’s success, which the superintendent described as winning the 2025 Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional championship and earning captions for outstanding music, visual and general effect. A show-choir performing-arts day drew more than 200 students.

Student representative Ella Reese reported on recent student activities and events, including Model UN awards at conferences at the University of Pittsburgh and UVA (Reese recounted roughly 900 delegates and 61 schools at one conference), a junior-class consignment sale, and student-council preparations for the annual Christmas event scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. She also noted plans by the Future Ready Leaders program and student-council committees working on school-spirit initiatives.

McCracken closed the recognitions by honoring outgoing board members Christine Biverso, Shauna Alagan and Ray Kozak with donated books, lifetime gold event cards and certificates for their service to the district.

The board did not take public comment on these recognitions; the superintendent and student representative’s remarks provided the primary public-facing context for the awards and programs.