NESC Newsletter- MAY
AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
A Look Ahead: 2023-2024 NESC Academic Calendar
Farewell in Retirement, Ladies!
Congratulations Mrs. Kathy Myers and Mrs. Susan Edwards!
Along with the members of the school board, I want to thank you for your many years of service and dedication to the students and parents of the Northeast School Corporation. We thank you for your patience and wisdom that helped to make our students successful, and we wish you a long, healthy and peaceful retirement. Congratulations!
Dr. Mark Baker
NESC Superintendent
- - -
KATHY MYERS
Kathy Myers has made a major impact on the North Central community, having served here for 29 years. "I have really enjoyed teaching students writing skills and how important the power of words are," said Mrs. Myers. "I also enjoyed teaching various types of literature because it exposes students to so many different cultures."
In her retirement, Mrs. Myers is looking forward to traveling with her family, spending time with her grandson, and having more time to work outside.
She would like to thank her mentor teacher, Judy Barneby, for always lending a helping hand through her first year of teaching, and Dave Scott for trusting her to sponsor the Beta Club. “Working with the students in Beta Club was a wonderful experience," she said. "I also cannot express enough appreciation to all my colleagues and administrators over the years for always having my back!"
"I would like to thank my husband Mike for sharing household responsibilities so that we both could be the best in our careers that we could be.” Mrs Myers added, “I am going to miss the staff and students here at North Central.”
- - -
SUSAN EDWARDS
North Central High School teacher, Susan Edwards, is retiring from teaching after the 2022-2023 school year. Mrs Edwards said, “I wanted to go into teaching because I just knew that I had God's gifts and talents that I wasn't using and that I needed to help people.”
After 20 years of teaching, 11 of which were served here at North Central, she has decided to pursue a different career. “I am very excited about this new chapter of my life and this new adventure” she said. “I have so many fond memories from my teaching career, and I especially loved making connections with the students. I love it when they (the students) experience those 'aha' moments! Plus, I love some of the friendships I have built with colleagues.”
Mrs. Edwards will continue helping others, but this time it will be in the field of nursing. "I am a very giving person, and it is just a new opportunity to help people and make a difference."
Northeast North Elementary
Earth Day at NENE
Students at Northeast North celebrated Earth Day by creating bird feeders Students reused plastic bottles and filled them with bird seed to hang in trees all over the district Students also worked to clean up the school yard and neighborhood by collecting trash. Reduce, reuse, recycle to save the planet
National Theater for Children
Nene enjoyed a 25 minute live performance featuring 2 professional actors from The National Theater for Children. Students learned about energy efficiency and conservation. The program is sponsored by Duke Energy. Over 100 NENE families have also requested free Energy Kits to save energy at home through LED light bulbs, faucet aerators and energy saving measures that are noted in the kits. We encourage families to go to Myenergykit.org to request one for their homes too!
Kindergarten Roundup
Over twenty new Thunderbirds signed up for kindergarten on April 14 at Northeast North. Students worked with assistants to show their knowledge about numbers, colors, letters, shapes and writing their names. Students toured the cafe and library and the school. We are excited to welcome the class of 2036!
Tilson Hall Concert
Bravo Maestro! Students of Northeast North traveled to Terre Haute to see a live performance at Tilson Hall on the campus of Indiana State University. The concert was paid for by The Hometown Savings Bank of Terre Haute. “We appreciated Bart Colwell, President of the Bank, making music education available to our students. It was a fantastic experience for us. We enjoyed the concert,” stated Principal Dawn Mckillop. Students enjoyed music from Disney classics, Star Wars, and a few classic pieces. Students learned about the instruments. The timpani was a favorite, as well as, the horns! Students heard pieces played by trombones, violins, bassoons, cellos, clarinets and a harp.
Families can find more information about future performances at www.thso.org.
World Fest Day
Okaidja Afroso from Ghana visited Northeast North Elementary as part of the World Fest Tour in Sullivan County. Okaidja is a multi- instrumentalist. He sang to students in his native language. His calling and life purpose is to bring all people together so that we can laugh, grieve, dance and move together in harmony and community.
Mobile Dentist
Dental care right at school. The Mobile Dentists came to Northeast North in late April. Students received X-rays, cleanings, and other important procedures during the visit. This service has been around since 1997. We are proud to make this available for students and families. It helps parents so that they do not have to miss work. Students are receiving great care right at school. Toothbrushes and dental care packets were given to each student.
WonderLab Visit
Students enjoyed robots, working out, art projects and working together as a team to problem solve at the Wonderlab in April.
Setting and Reaching Goals
Students in first grade and kindergarten are reaching goals each day this spring at NENE!
Northeast East Elementary
Earth Week
For NEEE's Earth Week festivities, Jesse Walker visited on Thursday, April 20. Students watched a video of how to plant potatoes in grow bags and then had a chance to demonstrate it. Next fall the bags will be brought back to discover what grew! Students learned about eggs, incubation, and the life cycle of a chick, and they even got to put some eggs in an incubator. Students are also making bird seed feeders to hang in trees to feed birds. Miss Smith is helping students learn about plant parts by planting seeds in a baggy so they can view the parts as they grow. Mrs. Nikki Weir and Polly Blackburn are outside doing a recycling project using old shoes which are filled with dirt and a flower planted in it for Mother's Day. It was a beautiful and busy day at NEEE!
Student Council Planting
Many years ago, the Northeast East Elementary Student Council took part in the school's Earth Day celebration by helping to deliver pots planted for the occasion around the community. This small gesture grew into a full student council project that has continued yearly, expanding from 10 pots to this year's 28 pots being delivered. However, this year's project faced a setback when a late frost damaged the already vulnerable plants purchased from the local 4H program, which had difficulty with their greenhouse this year. Despite this setback, all 28 pots were delivered, and each Student Council member learned valuable lessons in meeting community members and appropriate etiquette.
Black & White Dance
Northeast East Elementary's gym underwent a complete transformation for the Black and White dance. The organizers decorated the gym with black and white draperies, white columns, and a black and white dance floor to create a ballroom-like atmosphere. The gym's walls were entirely covered with the draperies, completely transforming the space and enhancing the theme of the dance. The dance was not only a fun-filled event but also a great fundraiser for the school, bringing in nearly 800 dollars in proceeds. The dance featured various games such as Plinko, Ring the Gatorade, Pick the Surprise Bag, and a traditional Cake Walk. There was also an Obstacle Course for attendees to enjoy. The evening began with a royal coronation where candidates from Kindergarten to 5th grade competed for the titles of Prince and Princess, while 6th graders competed for King and Queen. The Prince and Princess candidates were selected randomly while the King and Queen candidates had to submit an application to be considered. The winners of the competition were Princess Clara Albee and Prince Kason Brinegar, as well as King Dreyson Orr and Queen Braylee Snow.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
4th grade endured the rain and snow (yes, snow in April) to enjoy a great field trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 17th. Students got to meet one of the 500 Princesses, learn about all the careers that can be found as part of the Indy Car Series, and use their knowledge of force and motion to build and race a soapbox derby car. They learned about the SAFER barrier and other safety features used at the track, the flags used throughout the race, and got to sit in the timer/scorer's box in the Pagoda to see how a photo finish works. The class was even able to impress the volunteers with their knowledge of track history and superstitions from in-class lessons. Even though the weather kept them from being able to actual walk on the track, they were still able to kiss the bricks, a memory they will all share after visiting the Brickyard.
Zoo Enrichment
Intermediate high ability students from Northeast North and Northeast East Elementary Schools recently completed a project in connection with the Indianapolis Zoo. Students were tasked with making a prototype of an enrichment object to be created for the selected animals.
Teachers Jennifer Strahle and Ashley Rogers attended a conference in early October to get the details of the project. Fourth and fifth grade students had to complete the project for the Amur Tiger, while the sixth graders had to complete it for the Red Kangaroo. The students then had to take the information from the teachers to make their prototypes. Students worked during encore, after school, and during free work time in the school day. After their prototypes were completed the top projects were selected and the winners had the opportunity to go to the zoo and present their projects to education coordinators and keepers. Students had to talk with these professionals about their design process and challenges that they encountered while creating their prototypes.
The staff at the zoo use these ideas to improve their own animal enrichment activities. After presenting their projects the selected students had some time to explore the zoo. They got a chance to observe and interact with animals, while looking at the enrichment objects that were already in the enclosures.
WonderLab Visit
4th grade NEEE students visited the WonderLab on April 11th. They worked out with Mrs. Brown in the FABB Lab and experimented with force after building a catapult from a kit with Mrs. Walker.
Beta Club Tornado Assistance
The Northeast East Elementary Beta and 6th grade Junior High Beta asked for donations to help those affected by the tornado in Sullivan. The school had a couple of hat/pajama days to help raise money as well as accepting donations of diapers, pet food, snacks, etc. They were able to raise $700 as well as a trunk full of donations to help those with a need. Pictured are the NEEE Jr. Betas as they are carrying donations to Mrs. Hannon's car to be delivered.
North Central Jr/Sr High School
Click the button below to read about Hymera native and NCHS graduate, Brandon Lee.
Graduation: Student Spotlight!
Salutatorian-- Joshua Roberts
Josh Roberts is representing this year's graduating class as its salutatorian. "I am proud that I will soon be a graduate of North Central High School," Josh said. "I feel like the teachers here have prepared me to tackle any challenge I face in the future."
During his time here at NCHS, Josh was a varsity letterman in multiple sports, with those experiences being some of his favorite memories. "I had a lot of fun these 4 years and made many memories. High school was a truly unforgettable experience."
After graduation, Josh plans to attend Indiana State University to major in Digital and Interactive Media.
Co-Valedictorian-- Addison Brown
Senior class co-valedictorian Addison Brown is proud of many things she has done throughout her high school career. In addition to keeping her grades up and competing for the top spot with co-valedictorian Braiden Bell, she is also proud of getting her CNA certification which will put her ahead of other students competing for a spot in the program she plans to attend.
"I'm proud to have served as a Beta representative, as a class officer for several years, and as a brown bagger," said Addison. "I also to to show chickens and compete in art exhibitions for 4-H for a long time."
This fall Addison plans to begin her pursuit of a medical degree from Purdue University. "I loved the campus and knew it was the right place for me from the start," she said. "After Purdue, I will likely transfer to another renowned university to earn my doctorate and become a surgeon." After all this is accomplished, Addison wants to move away and start the next step in her life.
Co-Valedictorian-- Braiden Bell
Senior class co-valedictorian Braiden Bell is most proud of keeping her grades up in both her Ivy Tech classes and her classes here at North Central. In addition to the many awards she received throughout her years here at NCHS, she was also a volleyball standout and team captain. "I had had to work hard competing with co-valedictorian Addison Brown to remain at the top of the class," Braiden said. "It was definitely a challenging experience, but it was all worth it in the end."
Braiden is also proud of achieving her 10-year membership award this year for 4-H. She has shown goats, pigs, and has done many exhibits throughout her years.
Braiden plans to attend Ivy Tech Community College of Terre Haute with her eyes set on becoming a sonographer in 2 years. "I plan to stay local and help the community that raised me," she said. "I decided on Ivy Tech because it is a good program and I get to stay closer to home."
Academic Super Bowl
Congratulations to our Academic Super Bowl teams who competed on April 18 at North Knox High School. Each round consisted of 25 questions, and in the English category, our NC team scored a 19/25, giving them a chance to qualify for the state finals! Overall the night was a great success for all involved! The results were as follows:
English team - 1st place - Hailey Reed, Sarah Harris, and Amanda McColl
Social Studies team - 2nd place - Joshua Roberts, Tucker Mitchell, and Shelby McMillen
Math team - 3rd place - Luke Bennett, Hayley Waterman, Addison Brown, and Joshua Roberts
Athletic Hall of Fame
Congratulations to the 2023 NCHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees!
Debbie Stockdell Miller - 1983
Bill Pirtle - 1971
Jamie Case-Huff - 1989
Steve Ramsey - 1981
Brandy Logue Edmondson - 1992
Randy Stone - 1981
Gini Sampson - 1992
Brett Andrew - 1992
Brenda Ladson - 1995
Ryan Turner - 1993
Lisa Boyll Orsburn - 1997
Rick Sluder - 1995
Nick Johnson - 1997
Lance Sluder - 1999
Anthony Griswold - 1999
Kevin Chambers - 1982
1995 - Ladybird Basketball Sectional Champion Team
1998 - Thunderbird Baseball Sectional Champion Team
Preparing for College & Careers
OSHA Safety Certificates
Congratulations to Mr. Ransford's Advanced Manufacturing students for earning their 10-hour OSHA Safety certificates!
Walking Club
Mrs. Horn recently started a Walking Club that meets during T-Bird Time in the South Gym. Junior high students walk on Mondays while high schoolers get their steps in on Wednesdays. Mrs Horn plays a variety of music on her speaker and even takes requests. Also, every week she will put everyone's name in a bucket and draw for a $10 Dollar General gift card. The lucky winner will be eligible to participate in the drawing after a week or two. Come join the Walking Club with Mrs. Horn and her crew of walkers!
Blood Drive
The North Central High School Beta Club hosts three blood drives per school year. This year we had a wonderful year! From the April 6th drive, we registered 22 donors. We collected 17 whole blood, 2 double reds (counts as 2 each), and deferred 3 donors. Those products will soon be on their way to positively impacting the lives of 63 patients!
Indiana Teacher's Rally
Teachers from across the state protested at the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday, April 13, 2023, as the legislative session continued. Teachers called for more public school funding and spoke in opposition to a bill that would remove many discussion topics from the collective bargaining process, as well as "culture war and book banning bills." A few of our very own teachers had the opportunity to attend this rally.
Library Media Updates
If you happen to walk into the library media center this year, you will notice the dedication and commitment that Mr. Cummings and his library media classes have put into it, including a fresh new look to organize the materials so they can be more easily found by students and faculty. In the junior high section, we recently replaced all old labels and color-coded each book by genre (ranging from science fiction, graphic novels, sports, realistic fiction, romance, etc.). We can gladly say the junior high section is complete, and we are ready to begin with the high school collection. As for the remainder of the library, all shelves have been given front-facing displays to draw more attention to new arrivals, old classics, and other popular titles. This year NCHS has seen a tremendous uptick in the number of students reading, thanks in part to these new updates to encourage reading!
Old NCHS Yearbooks For Sale!
If you would like to purchase an old NCHS yearbook, please contact Jacob Cummings via email (cummingsj@nesc.k12.in.us) or visit the NCHS Media Center during school hours.
The cost is $10 per book for the following available years (at time of publication): 1969 (1), 1973 (1), 1983 (3), 1986 (4), 1992 (12), 1993 (5), 1995 (3), 2000 (3), 2002 (5), 2003 (9), 2004 (3), 2006 (27), 2007 (16), 2008 (5), 2014 (19), 2015 (24), 2016 (19), 2017 (21), 2018 (20).
For years 2019 (4) and 2020 (6), the cost is $20 per book.
All sales are first come first serve. All proceeds will go toward the Student Media (Yearbook) fund.
Still Want a 2022-2023 NCHS Yearbook?
The last date to purchase an NCHS 2022-2023 yearbook is Friday, May 15. Contact Kathy Myers (myersk@nesc.k12.in.us) ASAP for more details!
We Care Closet
With the help of some very generous donors, NCHS hopes to be able to fulfill the needs of all of our students, no matter what those needs may be. Students can make a request by filling out a card from the bulletin board across from the main office, or they can fill out a Google form (https://forms.gle/BmymvCLTdNNaDhtL9). This information will be kept confidential, and the student may choose how they would like to receive the items they request. If a student has a need that is not listed, they may simply write it on the card or include it in the Google Form. Students may request items as often as they have a need. Once we get the request from the student, it should be filled within a couple days depending on inventory. Please do not be afraid to ask if you have a need - because we CARE!
-Ms. Liston
Principal, North Central Jr/Sr HS
NCHS Library Media Center
NCHS Library Media Center
Please check out the new NCHS Library Media Center website. You can stay up-to-date with new arrivals, magazine listings, podcast suggestions, and more! Just click on the button below!
Raising Readers- Tips for Parents
Every Kid Outdoors!
Hey 4th graders! See America’s natural wonders and historic sites for free!
Click on the button below for more information and how to register!
Kroger Community Rewards Program
Did you know if you shop at Kroger that your school can receive a monetary donation from Kroger? I have enrolled our school in the Kroger Community Rewards Program where NCHS can get money just from you using your card, and your fuel points will never be lost or messed with! It is a great opportunity for our school to start the student activity fund. Check out the information below to sign up for it. Thank you all!
To Use the Kroger Community Rewards Program:
Simply encourage your participants to visit http://www.kroger.com. Once logged into their Kroger account they can search for NORTH CENTRAL JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL either by name or TI975 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.
-Amber Young
NCHS Guidance Counselor
NESC Athletic Schedules & Apparel
NESC Job Openings
Click on the button below for information on current NESC job openings⤵️
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to all NCHS Library Media students and NESC teachers/staff
who contributed to this month's newsletter! Great job everyone!