NASD prepares for first day of classes
BY PAUL WILLISTEIN
pwillistein@tnonline.com
With the first day of school less than one month away, teachers and staff have been hired and appointments made as Northampton Area School District gears up for the 2024-25 academic year. The first day of classes in NASD is 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 26.
Teacher, parent and student events begin next week, with a variety of activities throughout the month, including the following.
• NASD teacher induction: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 5-7
• Northampton Area Middle School sixth-grade orientation: 9:30-11 a.m. Aug. 12-14
• NAMS new student orientation: 9:30-11 a.m. Aug. 15
• Northampton Area High School new student orientation: 10 a.m.-noon Aug. 16
• NASD staff in-service days: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 19-22
• George Wolf Elementary School kindergarten orientation: 5:30-7 p.m. Aug. 20
• Northampton Borough kindergarten meet-the-teacher night: 4-6 p.m. Aug. 21 at Franklin Elementary School
• Lehigh Elementary School kindergarten orientation: 5-7 p.m. Aug. 21
• Lehigh Elementary new family orientation: 5-7 p.m. Aug. 21
• George Wolf Elementary meet the teacher: 6-7:45 p.m. Aug. 21
• Moore Elementary School meet the teacher: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 21
• Northampton Borough first-grade meet the teacher: 4-6 p.m. Aug. 22 at Siegfried Elementary School
• Moore Elementary new family and kindergarten parent orientation: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 22
• NAHS open house: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 22
The NASD Board of Education, at its meeting July 15, voted 9-0 to approve the hiring of Ryan Johnson as dean of students at Siegfried Elementary School, effective Aug. 26-Dec. 20, with salary and benefits to remain the same; Emily Herman as special education teacher at Siegfried Elementary, effective Aug. 19, at $61,255 with benefits; Mitchell Hourt as an elementary music teacher at Siegfried and Lehigh elementary schools, effective Aug. 19, at $61,255 with benefits; August Chien as an English language teacher at NAMS, effective Aug. 19, at $70,340 with benefits; and Melissa Mayer as a special education instructional assistant at George Wolf Elementary, effective Aug. 19, at $20.13 per hour with benefits.
The board of education also approved the professional status and tenure for teachers who completed three years of teaching and have received six satisfactory evaluations, including Claudia Bento, Ryan Johnson, Shey Marth and Mary Ann Weaver at Borough Elementary; Samantha Leland and Kayla Turner at Moore Elementary; Caralie Seward at NAHS; and James Burden, Hayley Jackson, Tarra Mahalak and Jolene Makovsky at NAMS.
The board also approved the resignations of Shavon Devonish, cafeteria monitor at Lehigh Elementary, effective May 29, and Michael Renner, NAHS police officer, effective Aug. 2.
The board of education holds its next meeting 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12 in the NAHS auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.