Bronco News- May 2022
For all of our Bronco Families and Students
13 days left of school (we can't believe it either)
Good evening Bronco Families,
You read that right, there are only 13 school days left to this school year, and what a remarkable year it has been. It has been rewarding and exhausting, fulfilling and draining, challenging and triumphant. Our Broncos came back to school with something to prove, setting new standards for excellence in their programs, new program records in their sports teams, outstanding service efforts to the community, and new heights and goals for their own personal achievement.
Students have remediated more than 100 courses through our Apex program, and 54 students improved their GPA by more than 1.0 from last spring to the fall semester. Close to 200 seniors will be honored tomorrow at the senior circle awards night, and Northgate HS had more students earn the new California State Seal of Civic Engagement on their diploma than any other school in the district. Programs and student leadership have ventured into new territory, with first time events like our outdoor Homecoming Carnival/Dance, Winter Craft Fair, student directed and written plays, Art Showcase Walk, Stagecraft students handling game operations, and so much more. This includes the upcoming If I Can Change the World project, featuring all of our sophomore students in their World History courses, in a new daytime format.
It is hard to quantify what our outstanding students, staff and faculty have achieved this year, and what they have struggled through along the way. I do believe that the ups and downs of this year have brought us closer as a community, and I am grateful for the privilege of serving as your principal through it all.
Some great news out of this past week:
- For the first time in program history, boys golf will compete in the NCS tournament! Good luck to our golfers and coach Ron Otero tomorrow as they compete at Lone Tree Golf Club.
- Dance Production made it on stage for their spring concert for the first time in 3 years- and it was fantastic! Student choreographed and rehearsed pieces, ranging from tap to jazz to ballet on pointe- it was a wonderful night, complete with a feature piece with Miss Kourtnie Howerton dancing with her 4 year students! Congrats to Howie and DP, and congrats and thank you to senior DP captains Kiron Davis and Ryan Amato.
- Our swim team had their highest post-season finish in years, with a 2nd place NCS finish by the boys, and 5th place NCS finish by the girls- and today, our 200 free boys relay team won the State Championship! Congrats to Kyle Kengla, Mason Wendler, Andrew Hallett and Scott McMillan! Congrats to ALL of our swimmers who competed at the state level this weekend!
- AP Art hosted their first annual showcase last week in the Little Theatre lobby, featuring portfolio work by our AP students, including pieces shown below- a great display and celebration for our students' hard work this year.
- Boys Tennis had a winning season for the first time in a long time in this league, finishing in a three way tie for 2nd place, and senior Marco Tse finished 3rd in the league, winning a bid to NCS playoffs.
- Baseball has had a tough but excellent season, and got a bid to the NCS playoffs, with their first game at Benicia HS this Wednesday at 5pm!
- Boys Volleyball competed in the NCS playoffs, handily winning the first two rounds against El Cerrito and Las Lomas respectively, and falling to a tough De La Salle team in the semi finals. Congrats to Coach Leanne O'Neill and boys volleyball!
- Northgate's Theatre program continues to produce oustanding theatre, with Drama II on stage next with a totally modern "Romeo and Juliet", playing for classes next week along with a one-night only performance on the 17th at 7pm.
- Boys Lacrosse ended a successful season with a run at NCS playoffs, with several athletes getting honored in all league selections, including Marc Valeriani at goalie, Cooper Brandt at midfield, Luke Foster on defense, and Tony Pucci in the midfield.
- Classical Bands will be performing at the Lesher this week Tuesday May 17th- tickets are still available at the box office.
Our two jazz bands will perform Tuesday, May 23 at Yoshi’s in Oakland’s Jack London Square. This will be a sold-out evening of two shows, 7 p.m. ($22) and 9 p.m. ($17) Tickets: NORTHGATE HIGH SCHOOL - 2022-05-23 - - Yoshi's - Oakland CA
Our track athletes competed this weekend at the NCS TriValley tournament and several athletes will compete next weekend at the Tournament of Champions!
Mimi Swanson 400m, 16th seed; Evan Leach Pole Vault 6th seed; Johnny Hagedorn 400m, 5th seed, along with our relay teams competing in the exhibition event.
Students have been taking the AP exams over the past two weeks, and have been returning with a sense of pride and accomplishment, many of them reporting feeling well prepared for what they faced at the testing centers.
Softball just finished one of their most successful seasons in a long time, with a huge come from behind win over Las Lomas 6-2 a couple of weeks ago. Coach Zack Torrey led the team in a great season, fielding a JV team for the first time again in years.
Girls Lacrosse was recently featured in Northgate News and Living, after having one of their most successful seasons in program history. Check out the article here.
US News and Reports came out again with their annual list of Best High Schools, and Northgate is prominently placed once again in the Nationally ranked tier.
There is always so many great things going on, and my nervousness in just naming a few is that I know I am not hitting them all. Our Broncos make us proud daily, and there is more to celebrate.
Read on for more news and information.
Yours in Partnership,
Kelly Cooper
Principal
AP Art Showcase
Summer School Info- from our counselors
Summer School information:
Now that progress reports are out, let us know if you would like to consider summer school for remediation for your students.
Counselors have enrolled all students in Summer School who need course remediation. You and your student should have received an email from your counselor notifying you of the enrollment. Please let us know if your student is unable to attend so we can discuss a plan to remediate the course at a later time. If your student has a "D" in a class and would like to enroll in Summer school for grade improvement please let us know. Below is some general information regarding summer school.
Where: Northgate
When: June 8 - July 1, Monday - Friday
Time: 8:00-12:30 for 2 classes (for one class, you will be here for half the time)
Questions? Contact your counselor.
Reminders for students
- Students are not to leave campus without a pass. Several students have been attempting to leave campus daily, especially at lunch. We are a closed campus, and students must remain unless they have a pass from the office.
- Doordash and other food deliveries are not allowed, for security reasons. Only parents may deliver food to the office for students. Doordash deliveries will be confiscated and held in the office until the end of the day.
- Bathroom destruction is never ok. To be quite honest, I don't even know what to say about this one. It is baffling to me that we are still finding destruction in the boys bathroom, with paper products being stuffed into urinals, and trash being overturned on the floor.
We do have an anonymous reporting system for students to inform administration on problem areas or behaviors that need our attention. You can find the reporting form here.
Join the Award Winning Marching Band- Color Guard Needed!
This Friday there is a Color Guard Info Meeting/Masterclass with Luis (Lulu) Cardoza, Director of Concord High's Color Guard, as we try to grow our Auxiliary for 2022. This masterclass will include a demonstration on how to use our 5 new prop rifles, flags, and an intro to color guard choreography (and there will be free popsicles!).
In case you have not heard. Congratulations are in order to Matthew Stark, our 2022 Drum Major, and to Aaron Baack, our 2022 Assistant Drum Major!! They will both be attending Drum Major Leadership Camp in July A BIG THANK YOU to Andy Klien, Spirit Leader, and Ben Lafredo, Assistant Spirit Leaders, for agreeing to be a part of our 2022 MBA Leadership.
Mrs. Christy Paloutzian, Northgate's MBA Parent Coordinator
email- christy@paloutz.com/ 925 787-8425 cell
Get Involved with Senior Project
On to the Meet of Champions
Evan Leach vaults to a 6th place seed
Mimi Swanson-Wunder in the 400- 16th place seed
Johnny Hagedorn in the 400- 5th seed
Coach Shaughnessy earns Coach of the Year from West Coast Preps
So proud to have you, coach, and thank you for all of your work with our Broncos!
CA State Seal of Civic Engagement
In its inaugural year, several juniors and seniors have earned the California State Seal of Civic Engagement! Check out the recipients HERE!
Save the Date- If I Could Change the World Projects (10th grade)
Thursday, May 19, 2022, 08:00 AM
Northgate High School, Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Come see Romeo and Juliet- Tuesday at 7pm!
From Theatre Program Director- John Litten
I'm very proud to announce our final play of the season: A Totally Modern Version of Romeo and Juliet.
Come and support Drama II in this star-studded cast as they play out the classic, tragic love story with modern/updated language and fun new twists. Romeo and Juliet, now high school students, are supposed to be sworn enemies but fall madly in love. Due to their families' ongoing conflict, the pair cannot be together. Hasty, misguided decisions lead them to a tragic end because they cannot cope with being separated from one another. Drama II's modern telling is full of laughs, music, dancing, stage combat, and fantastic acting. This original script was written by Lia Simon and members of Drama II. It was 100% student-directed and produced.
A Totally Modern Version of Romeo and Juliet runs 45 minutes and is appropriate for all ages, though there are some mature themes and moments in the play.
AP Spanish prepped and ready for the exam!
Threads stages a peaceful protest
Dance Production takes the stage again!
Art on Display at Sunvalley Mall
Northgate has over 260 pieces on display at this event, check it out!
Jazz Band Takes on Yoshi's
Northgate High School's Jazz Band I and Jazz Band II return to the renowned Yoshi's Jazz Club in Oakland Monday May 23, 2022 at 7 and 9pm.
Historically, this is a sell out event; get your tickets soon to avoid disappointment!
Tickets are available through the Yoshi's Box Office in person or online -NORTHGATE HIGH SCHOOL - 2022-05-23 - - Yoshi's - Oakland CA
Monday, May 23, 2022, 07:00 PM
Yoshi's, Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA, USA
This Week at a Glance
Monday May 16th- Senior Circle- 7pm in the stadium;
Tuesday May 17th- Concert Band, Symphonic and Orchestra at the Lesher Center- 7pm; Romeo and Juliet in the Little Theatre 7pm
Wednesday May 18th- Teacher Choice Wednesday; APUSH test at WCC morning; Baseball @ Benicia NCS Round 1 5pm; Choir Spring Concert 7pm
Thursday May 19th- IICCTW Project - Stadium; Spring Choir Concert 7pm
Friday May 20th- Moving on Up Rally- see schedule- in stadium; Final Improv Show 7pm
Friday and Saturday- Meet of Champions- Track
Ceramics display in the art wing
Boys golf to compete at NCS May 16th
Broncos in Honors Orchestra
Spring Finals Schedule and Senior Project Minimum Days
All students take spring finals- the last day of school is June 2nd, and there is a ton of activity and assessment before and on that day! Take a look:
May 25 and May 26- Altered Bell Schedule- SENIOR PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
May 27- A Period Finals - Altered Bell Schedule
May 30- No school- Memorial Day
May 31-June 2 Finals - 2 periods a day, 2 hours per final- altered bell schedule and minimum days (period schedule to follow)
Calling all parents of 9-11th grades!
Senior Corner
Cap and Gown Distribution- Tomorrow!
Seniors who are borrowing their cap and gown will pick these up at graduation rehearsal on May 27th.
Seniors- please complete this survey if you have not already! (students only)
Senior Circle
Monday, May 16, 2022, 07:00 PM
Northgate High School, Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Senior Breakfast **NEW EVENT**
After breakfast, seniors will head over to the Concord Pavilion for graduation rehearsal!
Graduation Rehearsal (MANDATORY)
Friday, May 27, 2022, 01:00 PM
Concord Pavilion, Kirker Pass Road, Concord, CA, USA
Graduation Parking
Graduation
Friday, Jun 3, 2022, 11:00 AM
Concord Pavilion, Kirker Pass Road, Concord, CA, USA
Grad Night!
Grad Night 2022
June 4th, 6:30pm-12:30am
Bay Cruise: Dinner, Dancing, and Activities
Price: $150, will increase incrementally as the event approaches
Price includes Cruise and Transportation to and from the event
Use this link to order tickets -https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKd1n8iW8a7yFrYo23AQLufUdrVJ3keObADMVe6CQBQgR9iA/viewform
Saturday, Jun 4, 2022, 06:30 PM
Alameda, CA, USA
Students- Become a Mentor!
Should be able to work well with others, be friendly, and responsible.
Good grades and a good work ethic are a MUST - They should be able to be present as a mentor, willing to give up personal study time to help other students, and have a strategy to keep up with their own work to maintain a mentor position.
Interested? Fill out the google form here- Link for google form app
Opportunity for students- WCPD Chief Community Advisory Board
Become a youth member for the Police Chiefs Community Advisory Board! This board, CAB, meets once a month. They meet with the Chief and the Captains to discuss the ongoing activities of the department and review potential policy changes and potential recruitment.
We believe that this is an awesome opportunity because it provides youth representation in such a divided time. It would help the police department run smoothly and represent the interests of the local community. Attached is a flier and the google forms application. Must be a Walnut Creek resident to apply.
SAVE THE DATE- Walk through Registration 2022
Wednesday, Aug 10, 2022, 08:00 AM
Northgate High School, Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
First day of school 2022-23
Thursday, Aug 11, 2022, 08:30 AM
Northgate High School, Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
COVID protocols and Testing reminders
A few reminders for when your student is sick:
Any student ill with COVID-like symptoms must not return to the site until the following conditions are met:
- Student no longer has symptoms
- Student has been tested for COVID and the test is negative OR
- Student was given an alternate diagnosis from a physician (with documentation) explaining the symptoms
If a student tests positive for COVID, please reach out to Ms Cooper asap to inform her so that contact tracing can be completed, and instructions and support given to student.
We do offer testing twice a week at Northgate, and every day throughout the district. See below for these days and times.
Note- for families who are not receiving their results- you can log in to view these at the phmlaboratories website. Click on patient test results. Follow prompts to get a login code.
The new protocols are as follows:
- testing is ONLY for MDUSD students/staff and athletes will have priority
- preregistration online is no longer required
- for the safety of those on our school campuses, staff/children with notable active symptoms (congestion, fever, vomiting) will be turned away and should be seen by your health provider or at one of the locations noted on the MDUSD website under "Other Testing Locations"
Check the district website for current locations and times.
MONDAYS
College Park High School: 3:30 - 6 pm
Northgate High School: 3 - 6 pm
Riverview Middle School: 3 - 6 pm
Willow Creek Center: 10 am - 5 pm
Ygnacio Valley High School: 3 - 6 pm
TUESDAYS
College Park High School: 3:30 - 6 pm
Mt. Diablo High School: 3 - 6 pm
WEDNESDAYS
Concord High School: 3 - 6 pm
Mt. Diablo High School
Willow Creek Center: 10 am - 5 pm
Ygnacio Valley High School: 3:30 - 6 pm
THURSDAY
Riverview Middle School: 3 - 6 pm
FRIDAY
Northgate High School: 3 - 5 pm
Dent Center (1936 Carlotta Drive) 10am-5pm
SATURDAY
Concord High School - Testing offered by PMH Labs - 10 am - 2 pm
Hiring Fairs are coming!
MDUSD hiring classified and certificated staff, teacher hiring fair is May 21st!
MDUSD is hiring for many classified positions including Instructional Assistants for our Transitional Kindergarten (TK) classrooms! MDUSD offers flexible schedules, paid holidays, vacation time, health benefits and retirement benefits.
We are also hiring for positions in Food Services, Custodial, Special Education Assistants, Transportation, and many more opportunities in 2022-23! Apply at https://rebrand.ly/MDClass.
And MDUSD is hosting a teacher hiring event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 21st in the District Office at 1936 Carlotta Drive in Concord. It is open all candidates looking for a credentialed/teaching position. We ask that you apply before the event at https://rebrand.ly/MDUSDHIRINGFAIR. We look forward to welcoming you to #TeamMDUSD!
On that note: positions open at Northgate
Superintendent Dr Clark's Friday Letter
NHS Academic Counselors are here to help!
Who do I contact?
Academic Counselors
- Last Name A-G- Leanne Owen- owenl@mdusd.org ext 3546
- Last Name H-O Kristen Bligh- blighk@mdusd.org ext 3526
- Last Name P-Z William Stallworth- stallworthw@mdusd.org ext 3539
- College and Career Advisor- Janine Santos- santosj@mdusd.org
Vice Principals
- Last Name A-L Kara Ravina- ravinak@mdusd.org ext 3502
- Last Name M-Z Tyler Rosecrans- rosecranst@mdusd.org ext 3503
2022-23 Bell Schedule
Breaking News- *Year 7* for US News and World Report Top Ranking for Northgate High School
Northgate High School
Email: cooperk@mdusd.org
Website: northgatehighschool.org
Location: 425 Castle Rock Rd, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Phone: 925 938-0900
Twitter: @northgatehs