news release - Norwin School District

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Dec 7, 2016 - students in health classes starting in mid-March. ... a Supervisory Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enfor
DECEMBER 7, 2016 NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT 281 MCMAHON DRIVE NORTH HUNTINGDON, PA 15642 CONTACT: MR. JONATHAN SZISH, 724-861-3039

NEWS RELEASE

HEROIN AND OPIOID PREVENTION PROGRAM TO BE PILOTED AT MIDDLE SCHOOL Parent Information Forum Planned for Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. Norwin Middle School NORTH HUNTINGDON, PA. – To do its part to counter the heroin and opioid epidemic, Norwin School District and a team of local and national partners will pilot the new Operation Prevention awareness program at Norwin Middle School and will host a Parent Information Forum the evening of Wednesday, February 22, 2017. 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 program is a joint creation of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Discovery Education. Operation Prevention lessons are scheduled to be shared with Middle School students in health classes starting in mid-March.

(Taken from Operation Prevention PowerPoint Presentation)

“If we were in a combat zone, it would be mass casualties.”

- Mr. Joseph Moses Supervisory Special Agent United States Drug Enforcement Administration-Pittsburgh

The Parent Information Forum will provide parents with useful “discussion starters,” information about signs of addiction, and ways to teach their children refusal skills. In addition, the Operation Prevention program will be reviewed. The Norwin Council of PTAs and the Norwin Education Association have stepped forward to be primary sponsors of the February 22nd Parent Information Forum. Mr. Tim Kotch, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, 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.

PARENT INFORMATION FORUM Who:

Norwin School District

What:

Parent Information Forum

When:

6:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 22, 2017 (In case of bad weather, it will be held 6:30 p.m. Wed., March 8)

Where:

Norwin Middle School Auditorium

Details:

Parents will walk away with useful “discussion starters,” information about signs of addiction, and ways to teach their children refusal skills.

“Operation Prevention is very powerful,” Mr. Kotch said. “It focuses on the science of addiction and the impact on the brain and body.” Mr. Joseph Moses, a Supervisory Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Pittsburgh, attended the Norwin Board of Education meeting in December to support Norwin’s entry into the Operation Prevention program. “If we were in a combat zone, it would be mass casualties,” Mr. Moses said. “Overdose deaths account for more deaths than traffic fatalities.”

Next Page, Please

The DEA helped to create the new curriculum as part of a strategy to attack the drug problem through education. According to the DEA, Norwin School District may be the first in southwestern Pennsylvania to implement Operation Prevention. DEA representatives will present information to all Norwin School District teachers at an upcoming professional development day. Both February 20 and March 17, 2017, are being explored as possible dates. At the December Board of Education meeting, Dr. William Kerr, Superintendent of Schools, presented information about the free Operation Prevention program, which includes educator lesson plans, interactive student resources, a parent toolkit, and a student video challenge. The Board of Education unanimously approved participation in the program. Dr. Kerr said reversing the trend will require a total commitment on the part of the School District and the greater Norwin community. “The Board and Administration are encouraging parents and key stakeholders to attend the Parent Information Forum,” Dr. Kerr said. “Operation Prevention is going to be a collaborative effort with interactive dialogue among Board members, teachers, administrators, parents, and the community.” Dr. Jason Conway, Executive Director of the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit, also spoke at the December Norwin Board of Education meeting. Intermediate units across southwestern Pennsylvania have been searching for a heroin awareness curriculum, and Operation Prevention’s creators have produced top-notch programming, he said. “The Operation Prevention program will educate middle school students about the true impact of prescription opioid misuse and heroin use,” Dr. Conway said. “We hope to share Norwin as an example and possibly replicate this in the other 16 school districts in Westmoreland County.” Mr. Tim Phillips, Director of the Westmoreland County Drug Overdose Task Force, said that heroin overdoses are the top cause of death in Westmoreland County. “Every life needs to be saved. Every overdose is preventable,” Mr. Phillips said, noting that he himself has been “clean” since 1988 in his personal struggles with drug abuse. “I see Operation Prevention as being a great thing for this community.” Norwin School District teacher Mrs. Paula Giran, who also serves as Norwin Education Association president, said she is pleased with the District’s implementation of Operation Prevention. “There are so many parents in denial that this is happening here,” Mrs. Giran said. Board President Mr. Robert Perkins and Board Member Dr. Tracey Czajkowski agreed, commenting that some people do not wish to believe the heroin epidemic is actually happening in the greater Norwin community. A Steering Committee has met to integrate Operation Prevention curriculum into existing health lessons about drugs and alcohol. The Steering Committee will meet again in January and February leading up to the Parent Information Forum. The Steering Committee includes various principals and administrators, the District’s Coordinator of Drug & Alcohol Prevention and Awareness, and Health / Physical Education teachers and their Department Heads. Norwin School District is expanding partnerships with the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit, the Westmoreland County Drug Overdose Task Force, and local service organizations such as the Norwin Lions and Norwin Rotary. The School District also continues many other prevention and awareness partnerships, including the Westmoreland County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Saint Vincent Prevention Projects, and the Norwin Reality Tour. In addition, the School District’s partnership with the FBI Pittsburgh Division for the Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education (HOPE) initiative will continue and will serve to strengthen the program. “The FBI H.O.P.E. Initiative (Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education) is excited to partner with Norwin School District and the DEA on promoting an opioid-specific curriculum for middle and high school students,” said Mrs. Kelly Wesolosky, Community Outreach Specialist with the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office. “We feel in today’s society, education is key in combating this epidemic, preventing initial use, and assisting communities and families tragically affected by this epidemic.” More information on Operation Prevention and access to the program’s free resources are available at http://operationprevention.com. ###