Back-to-school series: Security upgrades await Monessen students

By Kaylie Moore
kmoore@yourmvi.com
New programs and security upgrades await Monessen School District students as they prepare to return to classrooms Monday.
Superintendent Dr. Leanne Spazak said the district has 67 teachers – down from 69 last year – but 111 total employees.
For the second year, music art and gym classes will remain self-contained in the regular classrooms at the elementary level.
Among the district’s new programming is the LittleBits Program, a hands-on coding STEM platform that includes easy-to-use electronic building blocks that encourage students to invent. LittleBits lessons link to Common Core standards, making teaching fun and effective.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. The program purchase was made possible by a $25,000 grant from ArcelorMittal, a Luxembourg-based steel producer that operates a coke plant in Monessen.
In addition to the STEM kits, the grant will also be used to purchase new Chromebooks required for fourth- and fifth-graders to implement the program in their classrooms. All equipment will be utilized to support invention-based learning, empowering students to engineer real-world solutions while kickstarting their creativity to explore.
Spazak said the district also received two security grants, which will be used for new student and teacher programs focusing on bullying, suicide prevention, cyber safety and more.

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