Technology returned to the forefront, classrooms sparkled, and students anxiously reunited with their friends.

If Monday was any indication, Northern Lehigh School District appears primed for a prosperous 2019-20 school year.

Based on his observations, Superintendent Matt Link gave the district’s start to the school year a ringing endorsement.

“The first day of school was a great success this year,” Link said. “It was wonderful to see our students and staff back together.”

Link said the district had 1,519 students attend the first day of classes, but noted that the total number of students will fluctuate slightly over the next week or two as families finalize their living arrangements.

In addition, there were 33 vehicles on the road, including full-size buses, midsize buses and vans.

Link said he believes the biggest accomplishments for the start of this school year was all of the preparation that took place over the summer.

“We are excited to have new members to our staff and support staff after conducting many successful interviews,” he said. “The buildings look great.”

Link specifically touted the high school building.

“The high school science wing renovation and addition, along with the installation of a new HVAC system, had the expected impact on the start of the year in that building, with the finishing touches wrapping up over the next week with evening work,” he said. “It was nice to not have to start the school year with the Slatington-Walnutport bridge closed, like the start of last school year.”

Link assessed some of the district’s curriculum initiatives for this school year.

“Under the leadership of our Assistant Superintendent, Dr. (Tania) Stoker, and the principals, our focus at Northern Lehigh will be on reviewing and updating our curriculum in the areas of math, careers, business and technology,” he said. “In the content area of math, we will be reevaluating our resources for alignment with the standards, eligible content of state exams, across grade levels and content areas, and in the context of our 1:1 technology initiative.”

Link said that as part of the Future Ready course at the high school, the district is implementing the Employability Skills Curriculum that was developed by the Workforce Board of the Lehigh Valley. The program focuses on effective relationships, workplace skills, and applied knowledge.

“We are also in the process of revamping our Comprehensive Guidance Plan, based upon stakeholder feedback, to incorporate more exposure to careers and work at a younger age, including job shadowing and internship experiences for students,” he said.

Link said the district received a PA SMART Targeted Computer Science and STEM Education Grant.

“The first part of the grant enabled us to send six faculty members to training to incorporate the Computer Science Teacher Association standards and principles into the curriculum,” he said. “The second phase of the grant provides funds to purchase hardware and other products to implement computer science in the classroom during the 2019-20 school year. This will be done though our computer, technology and business courses, as well as, our Makerspaces.”

Link discussed additional goals for this school year.

“This year, we will continue to focus on academic growth for all of our students utilizing a multitiered approach for supports,” he said. “We are also working on training all of our employees on what it means to be a Trauma Informed School, review safety and security protocols, as well as relevant use of technology for teaching and learning.”