Canon-McMillan To Implement New Crisis Alert System

Canon-McMilllan School District is set to install a new crisis alert system for student and employee safety which will be funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The system will be the first in Washington County and the second in the entire Western Pennsylvania region. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Scott Chambers states that all employees will wear badges that trigger immediate emergency alerts, including medical emergencies and intruder alerts. In other matters, the district has also opened kindergarten registration on their website for the 2025-2026 school year. According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mark Abbondanza, the webpage contains frequently asked questions, key facts regarding the kindergarten process, and downloadable registration forms. The district is also implementing an artificial intelligence curriculum incorporating robotics for 5th and 6th graders in Cecil Intermediate and North Strabane Intermediate Schools. The curriculum will allow students to design and code robots while learning about coding and AI offering two levels of difficulty: the uKit AI Beginner for 5th graders, featuring more than 350 building pieces, and the uKit AI Intermediate for 6th graders, with more than 550 building pieces. The pilot program will launch in April, with STEM teachers leading the effort.