March 2017 Dates to Remember

March

10 Optimist Trivia Night 6:00 PM Café 21 School Board Meeting 4:00 PM 23 Parent Teacher Conferences 5-8:45 24 No School 31 No School - Snow Makeup Day

April

3-7 No School - Spring Break 8 ACT Test Date 11 School Board Meeting 4:00 PM 14 No School - Good Friday 27 Athletics Physical Night 6:15 PM 28 Battle of the Bands 7:30 PM

May

2 School Board Meeting 4:00 PM 13 Prom 15 Senior Awards Night 7:00 PM 16 School Board Meeting 4:00 PM 19 Spring Choir Concert 7:30 PM 23 Band Concert 7:30 PM 23-26 Final Exams 26 End of Semester 2 30 Teacher Records Day *Graduation is June 4th at 4:30 PM

STAY UP TO DATE

us at: www.facebook.com/nhsraiders

Andrew Wood, Principal

As I take a few moments to compose this month’s addition of my message in On slate, I can hardly believe how quickly this winter has flown past. I attribute this to the number of outstanding things our students have taken part in recently. Our students are pretty impressive on a regular basis here at Northridge, but our various teams’ successes have taken it to a new level. Let’s start with our Lady Raiders taking their season all the way to the final four! I am so proud of how our girls competed and the class they showed on and off the court representing our community. It was not unusual to get a letter or an e-mail from an opposing teams fan or administrator pointing out how our girls showed outstanding sportsmanship. Winning is great, get-ting a note from your opponent praising the character of coach-es and players is priceless. We had plenty of success in the pool again this season. Both our boys and girls performed well at State with a 4th place finish from our boys while our girls placed 5th! Once again this pro-gram is known for outstanding performances, but the day to day examples of high character and attention to details are what I appreciate most about this group of students and coaches. There was also great success in wrestling, winning our first NLC championship since 2001 and achieving individual acclaim with Conner Graber at state. Our Science Olympiad and other academic competition teams have been fantastic. At a recent Math competition at Trine Uni-versity, NHS students took 1st place in the team division. Addi-tionally, earlier in the winter, our football players made a huge impact at the Middlebury Food Pantry, providing the largest do-nation in the history of the pantry, which was enough to feed 200 families a week for 2 months. Simply put, our students and school community are outstanding! Go Raiders!

Raider Motor Sports

Northridge High Schools Raider Motor Sports (RMS) Team is continuing to make progress on this year’s high mileage vehicle as the Shell Eco-Marathon approaches. The team has completed the design stage and is now working towards the actual production of the vehicle. The Team’s cur-rent timeline is the vehicle be able to be driven by the start of spring break. This would put the team about a month ahead of where they were last year. Having the vehicle ready by spring break should allow for plenty of time to test the durability and reliability of the vehicle before it heads to Detroit at the end of April for competition. Team members are excited to get a chance to try out their carbon fiber frame and will be applying for an off-track award for innovation in reference to the carbon fi-ber frame and many 3D printed parts that are used on the vehicle. RMS team members would like to thank Lippert Components, Hart Plastics and Symonds Machine for all the work they did to help produce this year’s body. The body is designed to look like a scaled down Dodge Challenger. The Raider Motorsports Team can honestly not be thankful enough for all the sponsorships and dona-tions that have been given, but we would like to give a huge shout out to all of our platinum spon-sors (Starfleet Trucking, Lippert Components, Pat-rick Industries, Symonds Machine Co., and Hart Plastics). The team is always looking for potential sponsors to support the program. If you are interested in be-coming a sponsor or if you have questions contact crew chief Kris Lee at 17leekh@student.mcsin-k12.org or by clicking on the contact page on our website below.

www.raidermotorsports.weebly.com

College Bound Juniors

Juniors who will be applying to colleges next Fall: It is suggested that these students take the SAT or ACT college entrance test this year. Check the personal family calendars, along with the test dates to fit in a test during Semester 2.

College Bound Seniors

Summer is a great opportunity for students to ex-plore new adventures. Check out summer camps… consider a class or workshop at a college… volunteer in the community… job shadow a person… visit college campuses… seek employment…etc. The Guidance Office has materials for options in our college library for student review.

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG)

One of the new programs to NHS this year is the Jobs for America’s Graduates program, also known as JAG. This program is designed to work with Junior and Senior students on developing ca-reer-ready work based skills and has been a big success thus far. Recently, 4 of our NHS JAG stu-dents attended the regional JAG Career Develop-ment Conference in South Bend. We are proud to report that Gabe Lengyel placed 2nd in Creative Solutions, James Weldy placed 2nd in Financial Literacy and Serena Perez placed 3rd in Writing Skills. Lora Wilson also participated and did an amazing job in Public Speaking. James and Gabe will be participating, later in the semester, in the state competition.

Senior Attendance and Participation in

the Graduation Ceremony

To maintain the integrity and the honor of the gradu-ation ceremony. Parents of a high school senior with 10 absences will be notified by letter of the possibility of the student not being able to participate in gradua-tion ceremony if the student continues to miss school. Students who miss 10% or more school days (18 days) in the senior year will be reviewed by the high school administration. If sufficient cause cannot be found (extended illness for example) for the ex-cessive amount of absences the administration will recommend that the student not be allowed to partic-ipate in graduation. Students who miss 20% or more school days (31 days) will automatically be recom-mended for nonparticipation in the graduation cere-mony. Students who have been recommended for non-participation will have to petition a graduation review panel if they wish to participate in the gradua-tion ceremony. Congratulations to Eric Firstenberger and Patricia Copeland - winners of the Optimist Oratorical Con-test. Also to Jessica Miller the Middlebury Optimist Essay Winner.

Showing up for school has a huge impact on stu-dent’s academic success starting in Kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as a children grow older and more independent, fami-lies play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why at-tendance is so important for success in school and on the job.

Did You Know?

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation. • Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty. • By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better pre-dictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores. • Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success. • Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day every few weeks. • Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job.

What Can You Do?

Make school attendance a priority • Talk about the importance of showing up to school everyday, make that the expectation. • Help your child main-tain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep. • Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day. • Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety. Help your teen stay en-gaged • Find out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats. Make sure he/she is not missing class be-cause of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your school. • Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you. • Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while stu-dents without many friends can feel isolated. • En-courage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs.

Spanish 1 and 2 Field Trip

Latin American Inspirations Song and Dance & Traditional Dances from Spain We will be attending the Century Center in South Bend, IN, on Wednesday March 29, 2017. The cost is $35 plus money for lunch. We will depart at 8:45am from Door 33and arrive back to school at 3:15pm. Spots will be filled on a first come first serve basis with payment and permission slips guaranteeing you a spot on the trip. Field trip money and permission slips are due are due Friday, March 17th please make checks paya-ble to NHS. Turn in money or check to any of the Spanish teachers

NHS Yearbook

“The Shield”

Don’t miss the chance to order your copy of The SHIELD, the NHS yearbook to remember that this year has A NEW PERSPECTIVE. There is a limited supply available so order now! April 29th is the deadline for ordering a 2016-17 yearbook. To order a book or place a senior baby ad, see Mrs. Miller, a yearbook staff member, or go on the Northridge High School website to link to Jostens.

NHS Competes in Math

Northridge High School competed in the 42nd an-nual math competition at Trine University on Janu-ary 25th 2017. Taking first place in the team divi-sion were Northridge High School mathemati-cians Bradley Petrofsky, Wilson Wang, James Dugle, and Avery Mantyla. Each of these kids won a $3000 scholarships to Trine!. Individually, in the elementary division, Northridge students Wilson Wang finished first and Avery Mantyle finished sec-ond.

Raider Athletics News

Dates to Remember:

March 21 -- Winter Sports Awards Night 7:00 PM April 27 -- Physical Night 6:15-8:30 PM April 29 -- Drive 4 UR School Fundraiser 8 AM-2 PM

Winter Sports Awards Night

The Northridge High School Athletic Department will host Winter Sports Awards Night at 7 PM on Tuesday, March 21, in the NHS Auditorium. Athletes, managers, and coaches will recognized for the 2016-17 winter season in boys and girls basketball, boys and girls swimming and diving, wrestling, and cheerleading. All athletes, managers, and coaches are expected to attend.

Physical Night

Students interested in participating in a sport dur-ing the 2017-18 school year will need to have com-pleted a physical after April 1, 2017, and they will have that opportunity during Physical Night on April 27 from 6:15-8:30 PM at Northridge High School. Local doctors will be on-site to perform physicals, a requirement to participate in an NHS sport. Physical Night is a fundraiser for the athletic de-partment. The cost is $30 per athlete. Pre-pay by April 25. Make checks payable to Northridge High School Athletics. Physical forms are available in the NHS athletics office and will also be available at Physical Night.

Drive 4 UR School Fundraiser

The Northridge High School Athletic Department will hold "Drive 4 UR School," a fundraiser that will benefit all NHS athletic programs on Saturday, April 29, from 8 AM-2 PM. More details about this fundraiser will be an-nounced in the future.

NHS Reads @ York Elementary

Northridge High School was well represented at Soup with Seuss night at York Elementary on March 2. Soup with Seuss was a family reading night at York with celebrity readers from Northridge High School. Many groups of students came to read Dr. Seuss to York Elementary students and their fami-lies. Represented were Northridge’s International Baccalaureate, athletes, and band students. All Northridge High School students read their favorite books to captive audiences of kindergarten thru 3rd graders. Families were encouraged to bring gently used books to donate to the lending libraries that each class at York created. You will see these lend-ing libraries springing up all over Middlebury in the next few weeks. Feel free to take a book or leave one.

IB News and Views

Our IB students are working hard as they prepare for their last quarter of the year. Each IB class has an Internal Assessment which is a large project of some kind that will be due in the coming months. Ask your IB student what they are learning! Some of our Junior spent some time over Christ-mas break working on their CAS experiences CAS stands for Creativity, Action, and Service. These students tried something new and went toboggan-ing at Pokagon State Park. Maximum speed reached was 33 mph! Thru CAS experiences our students are learning more about themselves and how to help the community.

Kristian Dolan, Kristen Karch, Sydney Hale, Eric Firstenberger, and Garrett Rodino

IB Testing is fast approaching!

There will be a meeting for all students testing and their parents during parent teacher conferences on March 23rd at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be locat-ed in FIC room 111 and will cover exam days and procedures for students. Exams start Monday May 1st and run until Wednesday May 17th.

Attention 9th grade and 10th

grade parents!

Want to know more about our IB program? Scheduling for 9th and 10th students has been in the works. Information sessions about our Interna-tional Baccalaureate program will happen in FIC room 111 on March 23rd during parent teacher conferences. There will be a session at 7:30. Parents are encourage to attend to see if the IB program is a good fit for your student.

Tenille Wogoman (3rd grade York student)

showing off the library created by Mrs. Blot-

kamp’s class.

Matt Sheridan (Northridge band student) and Alyssa Hochstetler

(Full IB student and Distinguished Young Woman of Indiana for

2017) reading Green Eggs and Ham.

Camden Koch (Full IB student and Northridge swimmer),

Connor Glenn (Northridge swimmer) and Lauren Miller

(Northridge swimmer) reading Dr. Suess’s sleep book.

DATE: Thursday, April 27, 2017

PLACE: NHS - Enter @ North Lobby Door #1

TIME: 6:15 - 8:30 p.m.

PHYSICAL

NIGHT Pre-registration recommended!

NORTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL - Athletic Fundraiser*

Prior to Physical Night:

Pick-up student athlete physical packet from Athletic office, download or register on https://www.familyid.com/organizations/northridge-high-school

Pre-pay $30.00 deadline April 25, 2017 (No Refunds)*

Bring complete packet to physical night.

Don’t forget to sign all forms.

ATHLETES MUST HAVE THEIR PHYSICAL** BEFORE ATTENDING

SUMMER OPEN PLAY FOR THE 2017-18 SCHOOL YEAR.

NO student will be allowed to participate with any history of heart disease, seizures, or are currently taking any medicine for chronic illnesses. These students should see their own family doctor.

A parent is suggested to accompany the athlete during physical night. If parent is unable to attend, athlete must be prepared to answer questions answered with a “Yes” on the Medical Questionnaire.

**Physicals done before April 1, 2017, are not valid for the 2017-18 school year

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

NHS WILL HAVE AREA DOCTORS ON-SITE FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.

ON SLATE—On Line or On Paper

The ON SLATE is a communication tool from Northridge High School to the students, parents, and supporters of the school. The staff is instructed to provide information that the public needs and wants to know about the NHS students, their activities, and their successes. The goal of this publication is to provide current information so that the students and parents know what events are happening in the near future and who is likely to be involved. Also this is our opportunity to brag a little about the efforts and accomplishments of the students and staff of Northridge High School. Until approximately two school years ago, each household with students in the high school was mailed a copy of the ON SLATE. Now the times have changed. Many of the parents prefer to receive this information electronically rather than as a paper copy. As a result, Northridge staff now produces the on line edition of the ON SLATE which is accessible to all who want to see the articles. However, if a parent wants to receive a paper copy of the ON SLATE monthly, please call Patti Miller, the Northridge High School building secretary, at 825-2142 and request that the school send a printed copy of the ON SLATE to your home whenever a new edition is available.

Northridge H.S. Newsletter

Issue

ON SLATE