Lessons Begin in Mid-March ;
Norwin ’ s Effort Described as Leading the Nation
NORWIN MIDDLE SCHOOL BEGINS OPIOID AWARENESS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Lessons Begin in Mid-March ;
Norwin ’ s Effort Described as Leading the Nation
NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
orwin
To do its part to counter the heroin and opioid epidemic , Norwin School District will begin providing lessons using the Operation Prevention educational program in Middle School health classes this spring .
Operation Prevention provides students with the tools they need to make smart , informed choices when they are prescribed or presented with the opportunity to experiment with opioids . The educational program is a joint creation of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA ) and Discovery Education .
To introduce the new curriculum to parents and the community , the School District hosted a Parent Information Forum at Norwin Middle School on February 22 , 2017 , that was attended by approximately 130 people .
The Parent Information Forum provided parents with useful “ discussion starters ,” information about signs of addiction , and ways to teach their children refusal skills . In addition , the Operation Prevention program was also previewed for the parents in attendance . The Norwin Council of PTAs , the Norwin Education Association , and Excela Health served as primary sponsors of the February 22nd Parent Information Forum .
A Steering Committee of Norwin teachers and administrators has integrated the Operation Prevention curriculum into existing health lessons about drugs and alcohol . The following teachers spoke at the public meeting :
• Mr . David Gubanich ( 7th Grade classroom resources );
• Mr . Andrew Phipps ( 8th Grade classroom resources );
• Mrs . Vicki Potter ( Parent Tool Kit );
• Mrs . Mary Ellen Ferragonio , Co-Department Head ( signs and symptoms of addiction ); and
• Mrs . Mary Ann Stevens , Co- Department Head ( ways to teach children refusal skills ).
The Operation Prevention curriculum became available nationwide in fall 2016 and is free to all schools at www . operationprevention . com . Norwin School District ’ s decision to integrate Operation Prevention into its health and physical education classes has established Norwin as a national leader , according to one of the partner agencies that created the curriculum .
“ Norwin School District is leading the charge not only regionally , not only in the state of Pennsylvania , but nationally ,” said Mr . Donovan Goode , Director of Partnerships at Discovery Education .
Several officials from the United States Department of Justice and other partner agencies spoke at the public meeting about the seriousness of the drug epidemic . They included Mr . Darrin Turpin , Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge ; and Ms . Kelly Wesolosky , Community Outreach Specialist , both of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Pittsburgh office . They spoke about the Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education initiative ( HOPE ). Also speaking was Mr . David Battiste , Assistant Special Agent in
36 Norwin
Mr . Darrin Turpin , Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge , Federal Bureau of Investigation - Pittsburgh
Mr . Donovan Goode , Director of Educational Partnerships , Discovery Education
Mr . David Battiste , Assistant Special Agent in Charge , Drug Enforcement Agency - Pittsburgh
Charge of the Pittsburgh office of the Drug Enforcement Administration .
Mr . Tim Kotch , Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education , spoke at the meeting and said the ages of 12 to 17 are often the first time children experience being prescribed painkillers because of athletic injuries or having wisdom teeth pulled . This presents a potential for misuse or addiction to those painkillers . That ’ s why Norwin Middle School is an ideal place to pilot this opioid awareness program , Mr . Kotch said , so that students are made aware of the risks .
Mr . Robert Suman , Norwin Middle School Principal , delivered the Welcome Remarks , and Mr . Troy Collier , Norwin Middle School Assistant Principal , provided statistics from Westmoreland County . Mr . Tim McCabe , Coordinator of K-12 Drug and Alcohol Prevention & Awareness , provided an overview of other prevention programs being used in the District .
Dr . Jason Conway , Executive Director of the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit , spoke about the expansion of the Operation Prevention program to other school districts in the region .