Tornado Watch
MARCH 2019
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Black Tornado Friends and Families,
At no other time in history has the world seen so much innovation and change in such a short period. The high performance muscle cars of the 1960’s have been thoroughly eclipsed by today’s 700hp daily drivers that rival the performance of most “track only” racecars. Rotary dial telephones have been replaced by cell phones that are capable of Star Trek like video-chats and long distance plans that allow instant access to people, information, and products, across the globe. These, and many even greater changes, have taken place all around us and are truly influencing how we “do school” in America.
The good news is that this is the most exciting time to be in education as we are truly re-designing programs to maximize student success. Through listening to students and creating value-added programs, NMHS has joined over 107 high schools in Oregon to achieve a 90% or better graduation rate for the second year in a row. Our actual number for 2017-18 school year is 91.02%. Since we are 88th on that list, we are confident that there is much more we can do to connect our students to careers and the world of work to ignite their vision for the future.
AP testing is around the corner and we are anticipating the highest number of participation to date. This is due in large part to our District’s commitment to pay for all AP tests taken by Medford students. We encourage all students in AP courses to take the test because research has shown that just the act of taking the test increases the college readiness of students. Besides, it is a great preview into academics at the next level!
Our winter athletic teams are on their way to state competitions while our music and theater programs have been on top of their game and presented several high caliber performances. I hope to see you at one of the upcoming events this spring.
Sincerely,
Daniel P. Smith
DOORBELL/BUZZER SYSTEMS FOR NMHS
DOORBELL/BUZZER SYSTEMS FOR NMHS
IN EFFECT NOW
In an effort to improve safety for Medford School District (MSD) students and staff, the MSD invested in new doorbell/buzzer systems for the front entrances of all schools, including NMHS.
“The purpose of the doorbells is to secure a single point of entry to all schools during school hours. The new doorbell systems will also be equipped with video cameras and microphones allowing our office staff to see who is requesting entry,” said Superintendent Brian Shumate. “We will continue to make our best effort to lock all other entry points on school campuses throughout the school day.”
For your convenience, we have an outside attendance window located on the front of the Main Office building. We ask parents to utilize this as much as possible.
When coming to the school office for any reason, please be sure to have your ID ready as this is required to enter the building.
The Main Office front doors will be open during drop-off and pickup times as follows:
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri – 7:30 – 9 a.m.; 11:05 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.; 3:45 - 4 p.m.
Wed – 7:30-9:15 a.m.; 11:25 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.; 3:45- 4 p.m.
Thank you for your assistance as all of us improve safety for our staff and students!
ATTENDANCE WINDOW REMINDER
If you are bringing a student to school after an appointment or taking a student out of school, please be sure to use our attendance window. It is at the front of the school, for your convenience.
ACT AND SAT DATES
YEARBOOK PRICES
$65
If you have questions or concerns regarding senior pictures or the yearbook, please contact Curtis Stout at 541-842-5311 or by email at: curtis.stout@medford.k12.or.us
SPRING CONCERTS
Our NMHS orchestra are joining with the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon for a joint concert on Saturday, March 9. The concert will start at 7 PM and is free.
Spring Band Concert will be held March 11 @ 7pm in the North Medford Auditorium.
The orchestras will also be travelling to our large group festivals in Grants Pass on Tuesday, March 19 and to a Worldstrides Music Festival in the bay area April 4 through 7.
TORNADO FUTURE CENTER
Seniors! Watch your Gmail for Scholarship Opportunities or stop in the Tornado Future Center and check the scholarship table. There is money out there but YOU have to do the work!
Students, if you have questions about your future career, take the time to check out the Tornado Future Center page on the NMHS website, https://www.medford.k12.or.us/north. Click on the Programs tab then Tornado Future Center.
AVID
AVID is a program that is designed for students who desire to pursue education after high school. In the AVID elective, students receive academic and social supports to excel in rigorous classes. Organizational strategies, study habits, and long-term planning are a few things that students master through the course. Additionally, students participate in study groups called tutorials where they bring questions from their other subjects.
Applications for the AVID elective are open for the 19-20 school year. Currently, we are in need of volunteer tutors for our tutorial study groups once a week. If you are interested, please contact Charity Malcolm at charity.malcolm@medford.k12.or.us.
DECA
Congratulations to the following DECA students for their performance at DECA districts
Danielle McCormick - in Retail Merchandising 2 place
Cassidy Mcdowell - Hotel Lodging 3 place
Philip Cary - Sports and Entertainment Marketing 1 place
Ryan Turner and Caleb Forte - Travel and Tourism Team 2 place
SENIOR BOARD JUDGES NEEDED
Dear North Medford Parents and Community:
Connections made between high school students and community members can be invaluable. Judging Senior Board speeches is an excellent way to do this! During the senior year, students at NMHS participate in a three-part graduation requirement called the Senior Experience. This capstone of their high school career is a three-part process consisting of an independent project, a research paper, and a presentation to a board composed of high school staff and community members. All NMHS seniors participate. Students work hard to meet the goals of the project, growing personally and academically in the process. As a judge, you would commit to approximately three and one-half hours at NMHS. During this time, under the guidance of an experienced head judge, you will review portfolios completed by five or six students and then view and give feedback on their speeches. For most students, this is an exciting and scary moment. Judges find it enjoyable and informative to listen, support, question, and admire student achievement. This year’s boards are set for May 23 and 24; judges may participate on either one or both days. Check-in begins at 12:15 p.m., which offers adequate time to look through materials, review the scoring guide, and ask the head judge questions about the process. Presentations are over by 4 p.m. Judges and students take a twenty-minute break in the middle of the process to enjoy a delicious variety of appetizers, desserts, and drinks provided by our culinary arts staff.
If this sounds like an opportunity you would be interested in, please sign up with Iris Smith, Student Services Office Manager at NMHS at (541) 842-5204 or via e-mail at Iris.Smith@medford.k12.or.us. You will be reminded approximately two weeks prior to the boards. Please indicate which day(s) work for you; since these students are counting on your presence, please be sure to cancel formally if you are unable to attend.
Thank you for supporting our school and students. We look forward to seeing you in May.
Sincerely,
Summer Cox, Jamie Leach, and Tonya Noon-Toledo
Senior Board Coordinators
NMHS ROCKET GROUP
The NMHS Rocket Group toured, explored, simulated, and tested rockets at Kennedy Space Center. The group displayed curiosity and an eagerness to learn as they spent four days at Cape Kennedy, Florida. The highlight was a behind the scenes tour with lead engineer, Shawn Quinn, WHOM I met in Dayville, Oregon during the solar eclipse. Shawn is the head of NASA’s new rocket the “Space Launch System” or SLS. This new rocket is a heavy lift machine designed to build a Moon Orbiter, Moon Base ( near the South Pole), and send humans to Mars by 2030. Shawn leads a team of 400 engineers. He gave a wonderful tour of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and showed us how NASA stacks vertical rockets up to 363 ft. high……. Needless to say we were awe struck! I could blabber on all day about all that we learned, but suffice it say it was a powerful learning experience.
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to March’s student of the month:
Soroptimist – Cherish Brown
Kiwanis – Kate Lunnen