Curriculum Updates
October 2025 Newsletter
Indiana County Tourist Bureau Student Contest
Description of Artwork Contest:
In honor of America's upcoming birthday, the tourist bureau is excited to invite local high school students to participate in a special artwork project that reflects the spirit of this historic
milestone. This is your chance to have your masterpiece showcased in the tourist bureau’s official 2026 Annual Event Wall Calendar.
How to Participate: Students are encouraged to create original artwork that represents America’s 250th birthday and its significance. Whether it’s through drawing, painting, or any other form of visual art (AI not accepted), your work should reflect your interpretation of the spirit of America as we approach this historic anniversary. Think about people, landmarks, events, and ideas that make America unique.
America250PA Semiquin Scholarship Program
In commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary and to honor the legacy of Pennsylvania’s strong commitment to education, America250PA will be awarding $250,000 in scholarships to deserving Pennsylvania students attending Pennsylvania colleges and universities in the 2026/2027 academic school year. Application
When we put students at the center of the learning, real change happens. Join us at IUP on June 17, 2026 for a day of learning at the Western PA Student Centered Learning Summit. Details for lodging and the conference program will follow in the new year.
SEW Retreat
ARIN is hosting a two day retreat in October, the 23rd and 24th, for those who work the most with mental health in your district. This includes, school counselors, school nurses, teachers who work the most with behaviors, etc. Districts that send 4-5 team members to both days will receive a mini grant for attending. Participants will receive breakfast and lunch both days, as well as learning from various guest teachers. There will be discussion about PAYS data and the state lead for PAYS data will be with us on Friday. There is NO COST for districts to send teams to the retreat, but registration is required. Please click on the link below for more information, and to register a team if you have not already done so. If your district is choosing not to participate, please indicate that on the form at the bottom of the Smore as well so that interested districts can send additional teams.
ARIN IU28 STEELS/STEM Programs & Support Survey
ARIN Intermediate Unit 28 is gathering information about STEELS/STEM programs running in our member districts. Your responses will help us understand the landscape of programs like STEELS instructional supports, esports, competitive robotics, and drone certifications, allowing us to tailor our support, facilitate collaboration, and connect you with valuable resources. Please forward these form to the person or people in your district best equipped to answer these questions. Thank you for your time and input!
Drone Programs
Take flight with us! Whether you’re seeking certification, ready to build a comprehensive drone curriculum, or looking for a professional network, we have a program for you.
Click HERE for more information and registration information.
Biology Keystone
Remember....
- The 2025-2026 Winter Biology Keystone Exam is based on the “legacy” Biology standards (for re-testers).
- The Spring 2026 Biology Keystone Exam is based on the new STEELS Biology standards (1st time test takers).
- The best score-to-date will not translate between the two (2) different standards-based tests.
🍏SAS Conference 2025 December 8-10 @ Hershey Lodge
🍎PETE & C 2026 February 1-4 @ Hershey Lodge
🍏 Western PA Leaders Summit March 6 @ Grove City
October 2025-June 2026
Lead IDEA Leadership Academy | Lead IDEA
The Lead IDEA Center is excited to launch the 2025-2026 Lead IDEA Leadership Academy — a dynamic leadership development experience for local early intervention (EI) program and PreK-Grade 12 school building administrators.
PVAAS
Want a 1:1 Consult with the PVAAS Team? Click HERE to schedule!
Users can now select the focus for the consultation that best meets their goals or professional learning objectives.
Great Learning Opportunities Coming Up:
PVAAS Professional Learning Page
Digging Deeper Guides- these are a great resource for identifying root cause and diving deeper into your data! User friendly for all users!
Upcoming Webinars: Learn With Us
Timely topics and practical strategies. Register to either join us live or to watch later on demand.
Digging into Student Data: Using PVAAS to Support Growth and Instruction
Live Broadcast: 10/6/25 | Time: 1:00 pm | Register Here
Spot It. Understand It. Act on It: Making Sense of Your PVAAS Scatterplot Data
Live Broadcast: 10/7/25 | Time: 9:00 am | Register Here
Know Your Growth Data: Key Insights and Action Steps from Growth Measures
Live Broadcast: 10/9/25 | Time: 9:00 am | Register Here
Student Groups vs. School-Wide Data: Finding the Story and the Starting Point
Live Broadcast: 10/14/25 | Time: 1:00 pm | Register Here
Get a Jump Start on Roster Verification
Live Broadcast: 10/15/25 | Time: 9:00 am | Register Here
The newest edition of “The CP Tip Jar” newsletter has been released. 🚩🚩
Click here to access the most current Comprehensive Planning/FRCPP information.
