It was a first for the new NASH Principal, Ms. Dirda, and a first for NASH, too.  Senior Class President Jaime Martinez organized an Instagram Live with Dirda on May 6th as an opportunity for the class of 2020 to ask questions on the plans for various end-of-year activities and give feedback on remote learning. In an effort to allow seniors to be involved and voice their opinions on what they would like to see happen, participants discussed workload, finals, and activities including Senior Spirit Week, virtual commencement, and the traditional graduation ceremony on July 17th.

In regards to academics, students asked numerous questions on what the end of the year will look like as this time of year is usually stressful due to AP exams, finals, and just making sure your grades are in good shape.

“Are there any regulations on the workload? Sometimes we get an hour and a half per class almost every day,” Haley Abram asked.

Ms. Dirda answered that teachers have been advised to give about 30-45 minutes of work per class per day. Students are advised to contact their teachers to discuss workload and tweaking deadlines, especially since AP exams are now underway.

“How do we ensure we’ve met all graduation requirements?” Shreya Boppudi asked.

Dirda said that she, the assistant principals, and the school counselors have been actively checking to ensure that everyone has either met their graduation requirements or has been made aware of what needs to occur in order to graduate this June.

“What’s happening with finals this year?” Margaret Fenton asked.

Dirda explained that teachers have been given the option to choose whether or not to give final exams due to our current situation. Because of this, teachers have been reviewing different types of final assessments to replace the typical end-of-the-year exams. Although many teachers have chosen not to give final exams, the only teachers required to do so are the ones teaching College in High School (CHS) classes. Regardless, all seniors are reminded to keep in mind that their last day of school is June 5th, as planned, and therefore all assignments and grades should be taken care of beforehand.

The topic then shifted to the virtual commencement on June 12th and especially the in-person ceremony on July 17th.

“What will the July 17th Commencement look like?” Martinez asked.

Dirda answered that the July ceremony will attempt to follow the traditional commencement while complying with Pennsylvania’s social distancing guidelines. In the case that it is still unsafe to gather for an in-person event, students will once again have the opportunity to give feedback on what they would like to do as a replacement for this event.

As for the virtual commencement on June 12th, Dirda explained that NA will stream a video on the district homepage.  The video will recognize all graduating seniors and feature student and administrator speeches as well as musical performances.

The end to this year has not been what any senior had imagined, but with the support of the community here at North Allegheny, students, teachers, and staff have made a serious effort to ensure that the class of 2020 has the best send-off possible amid the chaos. And for that, North Allegheny, we thank you.