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North Hills Middle School names new assistant principals.               Jim Cassel and Katie Fanelli.
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North Hills School District keeping its current mask policy

North Hills School District keeping its current mask policy

The North Hills School District will not change its requirement that students and staff wear face masks during the school day when Allegheny County is in high or substantial spread of COVID-19.

District officials recently finished a required semiannual review of the protocols.

“This is working for us,” Superintendent Patrick Mannarino told school board members Thursday.

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Under the protocols, masks are optional for vaccinated individuals when the county is in moderate or low spread. Masks are “strongly encouraged” in sports or after-school activities.

Students leave McKeesport Area Senior High School at the end of the school day, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, in McKeesport. The McKeesport Area School District made mask-wearing optional starting Monday.
Andrew Goldstein
Pittsburgh-area school districts adjust mask policies after state Supreme Court ends mandate

Mr. Mannarino noted that the district is not required to do contact tracing or quarantine if everyone is masked and at least 3 feet apart.

The district is changing its quarantine policy — lowering the quarantine time from 10 days to five days — in light of the updated guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The school nurses will provide specific instructions to families.

Also, the COVID-19 tracker on the district website will reflect the new policy, keeping cases “active” for five days instead of 10 days, Mr. Mannarino said.

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In other business, the board hired Jim Cassell, of Moon, as assistant principal of the middle school. He is currently an assistant principal in the Brentwood School District, and previously worked as distance learning coordinator for the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit.

He holds a master’s degree in curriculum design and instruction from Clarion University, a master’s degree in leadership and principal certification from California University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor's degree in secondary social studies and special education from Slippery Rock University.

He will begin in mid-February.

In the meantime, the board named Katie Fanelli as an interim assistant principal at the middle school through the end of the school year.

Ms. Fanelli, a 2010 North Hills graduate, is a special education teacher at the middle school and the co-director and choreographer for the middle school musical, “Moana Jr.,” which will be showing next month.

Sandy Trozzo, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.

First Published: January 10, 2022, 10:45 a.m.
Updated: January 10, 2022, 10:56 a.m.

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North Hills Middle School names new assistant principals. Jim Cassel and Katie Fanelli.
Jim Cassell was named an assistant principals at North Hills Middle School.
Katie Fanelli was named an interim assistant principal at North Hills Middle School.
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