CCNTH Howl
2nd Quarter
Principal's Report
Pack Community,
This is definitely the season to give thanks. I am truly thankful to be part of this amazing school community. Our students are adjusting well to being back on campus. They are immersed in a wide array of rigorous and engaging projects, event nights, extracurricular activities, and school culture-building opportunities thanks to our outstanding facilitators/teachers. Our Fall Finals Week is here, and I’m certain that student efforts will continue to impress.
Our 2022-23 CCNTH Recruitment season has begun. Our amazing Link Crew just presented our first Parent Information Night on December 8 and will have five more in the new year: January 27 at Paulding Middle School, February 3 at Mesa Middle School, February 10 at the Santa Maria Public Library, February 17, and February 24 will be virtual via Google Meet. In addition, our Link Crew will be presenting at our three middle schools during those respective weeks. If you know of someone who might be interested in having their child/student attend CCNTH, please have them visit our website for registration information as we are now accepting applications through February 25.
After coming out of distance and hybrid learning, our New Tech Network Fall 2021 Culture Data Survey results were very impressive. Our 9-12 graders took the survey in late September and the positivity rates are as follows: Learning Environment, 98.6%, Learning Through PBL, 94.3%; School Connectedness and Belonging, 81.4%; School Processes and Practices, 76.7%; Interactions with Students and Teachers, 90.1%; and College and Career 94.1%.
Our Parent Forums are once a month. On December 15, our topic is “Parenting Your Struggling Teen with the Power of Mindsight” and January 26, our topic will be ”Knowing the Facts About Vaping, Drugs, Alcohol & Nicotine”. Both of these presentations are open to all secondary schools in the district and via zoom.
We have winter break and the New Year right around the corner; this is a time for celebrating the many student/staff accomplishments by entering into a short time of rest and rejuvenation. On behalf of the entire CCNTH staff, I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season. We look forward to 2022 and all of the joy it will bring.
Go Direwolves!
Sarah Butler
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
I hope you all had a restful and family-filled Thanksgiving! Most of our seniors are finished with the college application process and we are excitedly waiting to see where they will be attending next Fall! As our first semester comes to an end, students are preparing for final presentations and finishing up final projects. Winter break is a time to celebrate accomplishments and reflect on the growth your student has shown so far this school year!
Important Announcements/Dates to Remember
Cuesta/Hancock
Both Cuesta and Hancock have released their Winter & Spring 2022 course offerings and students are eligible to start enrolling in courses! If you would like to sign up for a Cuesta and/or Hancock course, please follow the instructions below.
Hancock
Winter 2022 Term: 5 weeks from December 13 - January 13
Spring 2022 Term: 17 weeks from January 24 - May 25
To view course offerings for Spring and/or Winter 2022 click on this link.
Once you have decided on a course, follow the steps for College Now! students by selecting “Steps for Enrollment”.
Cuesta
Spring 2022 Term: 18 weeks from January 18 - May 20
To view course offerings for Spring 2022 click on this link.
Once you have decided on a course, follow the steps for High School Enrichment under “High School Enrichment Enrollment Steps”
PSAT
Results are in for the October administration of the PSAT. If your student took the PSAT in October they are able to access their score reports through their college board accounts.
All of our Sophomores will be taking the PSAT on our campus during the school day. Exact date TBD.
Academic Planning & College Readiness Parent Forum
This event is especially important for our junior (11th grade) parents and students, however all are welcome to attend!
This event will be held virtually on Wednesday, March 30th.
At this event we will be covering:
Graduation & College Prep Requirements
Cuesta/Hancock Information
PSAT Results
College Admission Test Information
Next Year Schedules
College Searches
College Application Process
Financial Aid
Timelines
If at any time you have a question, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be glad to help.
Career Center
For our seniors, college application season is largely over, and now begins college scholarship season! I presented a Financial Aid and Scholarship Parent Forum in October, and will be presenting a scholarship application session for our senior Advisory classes on Dec. 13. Seniors should be visiting the Scholarship Opportunities document regularly, and meeting with me if they have questions. Also, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid should be completed as soon as possible! The Cash for College team through Hancock College is happy to help over the holidays. The flyer lists where free FAFSA help is available over Winter Break.
Freshmen and Juniors have completed the YouScience program, exploring career options by looking at where their interests and aptitudes meet. YouScience is a great starting point for family conversations about where a student might want to study, and what career paths they may want to follow.
I encourage all students and their families to visit the Virtual Career Center to see the latest events, community service opportunities, and organization tools for academic success! You can also make an appointment to meet with me for any questions about college, career, and community.
Happy Holidays!
Trisha Oksner, “Mrs. O”
805-474-3300 x3242
Parents of the Pack (Boosters)
Hello Parents of the Pack! We continue to be blown away by your continued support, whether you bought poinsettias, dined to donate or purchased swag, your contributions mean a lot. We have one final fundraiser in the works this year and it will be a great one! As you may know CCNTH is in it’s 10th year and will be hosting a celebration in March. At that event we will be selling limited edition 10 year anniversary swag and hosting a silent auction. We are in search of people who would like to help solicit donations or who have a donation they would like to make. Please email ccnthboosters@gmail.com.
AMAZON SMILE update: If you would like to help support Boosters through your Amazon account, please select the account that says "Central Coast New Tech High School Boosters".
Wednesday, December 15th is another Panda Express Fundraiser at the Arroyo Grande location. See the flyer below for more information.
Upcoming Project Panels
Stay tuned for some amazing CCNTH student presentations next semester!
MATHEMATICS
Integrated Math I - Mr. Kienow
We’ve been doing a lot of problems examining linear and nonlinear relationships between variables (speed, distance, and time of a race for example). Students have been creating tables, graphs, and formulating rules to describe those relationships. They’ve been doing most of this work in Google Sheets, a tool that many of them will be using extensively after graduating from high school / college, and have learned how to reference cells and create tables and formulas.
Integrated Math II - Mr. Dotinga
Integrated Math II
Students have been learning about functions and function notation by answering the Driving Question, “What functions can be applied to the world around us?” The specific application they have been looking at is exponential growth and decay. They are using their cards and budgets from their Credit Card CRA in the first quarter to model the exponential growth of recurring interest to show what happens if you do not pay off your credit card each month!
Integrated Math III - Mr. Kienow
Integrated Math 3 has been doing a lot of proving things! We’ve examined algebraic proofs, geometric proofs, and have even sprinkled in other kinds of proofs and problem solving like Sudoku and crime scene analysis. Students are growing in their abilities to prove mathematical concepts in a variety of ways. We’ve also started a unit on similarity and congruence in geometric figures, and are weaving mathematical reasoning and proofs into that topic as well.
Honors Calculus I - Mr. Dunham and Mr. Rachman
In the second quarter, students have been learning about limits and the development of one of the key ideas of Calculus - the derivative. Derivatives are a useful mathematical idea that allows for calculating instantaneous rates of change. Through inquiry and exploration, students have developed their own conceptual understanding of several different ways to apply derivative rules.
Honors Calculus II - Mr. Dunham and Mr. Rachman
Students have been diving deeper into the world of applications of derivatives such as implicit differentiation, and Related Rates, extending what they learned last year. In addition students have studied inverse trig derivatives and reviewed integrals in preparation for new, exciting methods for using Calculus to solve real-world problems.
HUMANITIES
World Studies (English 9 & World History) - Mr. Villegas & Ms. Boyce
Mao Zedong has been convicted on all counts! 9th graders just completed their first group presentations in the form of a trial. Teams undertook investigating a historical revolutionary and building a case for or against. After each team was coached by legal experts, students presented their arguments to a jury of parents/guardians and community members.
We are wrapping up the semester with two weeks of Poetry Out Loud, a nationwide competition. Freshpeople will select a poem to memorize and recite in dramatic form to their peers.
American Studies (English 10 & US History) - Mr. Sanson & Ms. Mitchell & Ms. Lozano
The sophomores have wrapped up a semester-long project that dove deep into the history of America's founding and explored the idea of whether or not our country has fully realized those foundational ideals and principles. They learned about the founding of the nation, followed by the Civil Rights era and looked into the voting rights and struggles of the major demographic groups of our country. Next semester we jump back a little in time to the 20s and 30s, before moving on to the WWII era with a focus on the many ways to artistically represent the impact of war on life. We plan on ending the year with our Decades project, where students become experts in the years of 1950s through the 2010s.
Political Studies (English 11 & American Government) - Ms. Cocuzzo & Mr. James
ERWC (English 12) - Ms. Boyce
Seniors have finished the Into the Wild project, during which they took a look at the story of Chris McCandless through the lens of Jon Krakauer’s book Into the Wild. Discussions involved looking at what makes a person inspirational, and whether McCandless’s actions and philosophies were ultimately naive or inspirational. The project culminated with a final, in-class debate in which students discussed and provided evidence for one of a selection of 4 possible debate topics.
The week after Thanksgiving Break, Seniors started the Poetry Out Loud project. Traditionally, Seniors host the Poetry Cafe during the final week of school. However, due to scheduling issues, the event night will be postponed until the New Year.
SCIENCE
Biology - Mrs. Engdahl & Ms. Scherpel
Biology students are working hard on creating their booths four our first ever CCNTH Health Fair! The Health Fair will be Tuesday December 14th at lunch for students to take a break from finals week stress. Biology students have designed colorful and interactive booths for their peers focusing on topics they identified as important, such as Meditation and Wellness, Balanced Meals, Healthy Study Snacks, and Coping with Stress: Dangers of Vaping. We’re excited to see their hard work pay off!
Chemistry - Mrs. Greco & Miss Calloway
The chemists are completing their Heat pack and Cold pack Challenge presentations. They created very creative products such as heated insoles, cold packs for children, etc. Upon return from Winter Break they will be beginning to set sail across the periodic table! In our Pirate’s Problem for Me, students will write about elements that they discovered over the course of the project. They will then create a treasure map that explains the secrets hidden in the table.
Physics - Mrs. Doyle/Ms. Barcelona
Physics students are finishing their current project “Crash Course”, examining force and acceleration can be applied to car crashes. Students are researching and exploring through labs how F=ma can be used to prevent car accidents, as well as analyze crumple zones and other aspects of accidents.
Advanced Physics - Mrs. Doyle/Ms. Barcelona
Microbiology - Mr. Schroter & Ms. Adair
Microbiology students are wrapping up their study of infectious diseases through the writing of an in-depth research paper and the creation of informational posters for the SLO County Public Health Department. We are looking forward to next semester where we will kick off our learning of microbiology with food!
Environmental Science - Mr. Schroter & Ms. Adair
Environmental Science students are concluding their project on Environmental Injustice and will be presenting their final products drawing awareness to the issue during Finals week. The students were able to choose any method of bringing awareness and have created a multitude of political letters, social media posts, presentations, podcasts, art pieces, and the list goes on! Next semester we will kick off the new year by learning about different forms of ocean pollution, who it is impacting, and what can be done to combat it!.
WORLD LANGUAGES
Spanish 1:
Spanish 1 has been working hard to master beginning level language concepts and structures as well as do it in a fun and culturally-authentic way. We just finished our first skit with the goal of using as many numbers as possible. They were wonderful! We are in the middle of “Verb Bootcamp” where students learn how verbs work in the present tense through a game-like project. Students then will use their knowledge of verbs in their SPOKEN final exam.
Spanish II
Spanish 2 continues to both review last year’s materials as well as learn new concepts related to the language and its structures. Our recent project was on a social justice topic in the Spanish-speaking world in which students researched and wrote a script for a mini Podcast public service announcement on their topics. They were wonderful this year! We are in the middle of our 2nd Verb Bootcamp when we learn how the past tenses work in Spanish and then will use our knowledge in our SPOKEN final exam.
Spanish III
Spanish 3 just completed one of the best projects of the year, our Cooking Shows! Each group researched a country’s traditional foods and then chose a common dish to make themselves. They wrote a script and created an incredible and informative cooking show...all in Spanish! Now, we have moved the class to a Conversational Spanish class where we spend 20-40 minutes at the start of each class in conversation about a given topic. Each student is expected to speak and listen as we develop conversational language skills.
ELECTIVES
Student Government - Mrs. Greco
The student leaders have been busy creating and implementing our Anti-Bullying week: Dude Be Wise. This Star Wars-themed week taught our CCNTH community about the power our words can have. They participated in several advisory activities and attended a CCNTH Assembly. Upon return from break, the student leaders will be tasked with shining the light and celebrating the accomplishments of our CCNTH students. Stay tuned for more updates!
Save the Date: Winter Formal: 1/29/2022 from 6-9pm in the CCNTH Quad. Ticket sales go on sale after break and semester grades will be used.
Link Crew - Mr. Dotinga
n addition to helping ASB implement the Dude Be Wise Anti-Bullying Week, student leaders have been preparing for recruitment season! We had our first Parent Information Night on Wednesday, December 6th at CCNTH. We will be visiting middle school classrooms and hosting additional Parent Information Nights, all led by our student leaders, after the break. If you have friends or family with middle school students, tell them about CCNTH!
Save the Dates!
Middle School Visits:
Paulding Middle School Visit: 1/24/2022.
Mesa Middle School Visit: 1/31/2022.
Judkins Middle School Visit: 2/14/2022.
Kermit McKenzie Middle School Visit: 2/7/2022.
Parent Information Nights:
Paulding Middle School MPR: January 27, 2022 from 6-7PM.
Mesa Middle School MPR: February 3, 2022 from 6-7PM.
Judkins Middle School MPR: February 17, 2022 from 6-7PM.
Santa Maria Public Library: February 10, 2022 from 6-7PM.
Virtual Parent Information Night: 2/24/2022 from 6-7PM.
AVID - Mrs. Engdahl & Ms. Scherpel (AVID 9&10) Mr. Dunham & Mr. Rachman (AVID 11&12)
AVID just came back from an amazing university field trip to UC Santa Barbara and CSU Channel Islands! 9th and 10 grade students researched the universities and designed beautiful and informative pamphlets to share with AVID 11 and 12, as well as other CCNTH students that were guests on the trip. We were lucky to be able to see CCNTH alumni at CSU Channel Islands and talk with them about what university life is like. We’re looking forward to our next adventure!
Creative Media Arts students just finished up designing tri-fold brochures for 4 of our CTE Pathways. These brochures will be used for upcoming preview days and parent info nights.
AMA students have been busy creating work for their final portfolios that they will be presenting to prove their readiness for college/career.
Computer Science
Computer Science students just got a preview of the Cybersecurity class by participating the CyberStart America competition. You can try it too!! - Check out: CyberStart Go! Students are finishing the semester with Cybersecurity Education Outreach products, so watch for those when we come back from winter break! And then… Next semester is all about graphics!! We will start off the semester by making art with code and then expand to games. There will be some web design too!
Programming & Game Design
Game Design students have left the realm of text-based adventures and have gone 2D! Our first projects using Unity will feel like an old arcade games… You have to start with the classics! The rest of the semester will include level design based on a real-world location and a final student-choice capstone project. There will be games... Lots of games :)
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity students are anxiously awaiting the results of the CyberPatriot State Round. We had an amazing semester of competition! Big thanks to LMUSD Information Technology Services for their support!! And it doesn’t stop there… Fall was all about cybersecurity “defense” but Spring will be all about “offense”. Again, we will let cybersecurity competitions drive our learning and this time we will explore ethical hacking, i.e. making the digital world safer by anticipating adversaries and “building better locks”. Check out the upcoming competitions - CyberStart America (January-March), picoCTF (March), CCIC Space Grand Challenge (April), National Cyber Scholarship Competition (April) … Whew!
Research & Communication (R & C)
Thank you’s!
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time and money to either help out on a panel presentation, in the classroom as a guest expert, as well as assisting our Boosters to help make our school better. Making a school great takes teachers, administration, students, and PARENTS working together to create a meaningful educational experience! Huge thank you to Mrs. Oksner, our Career Counselor, who led all students in R&C through a career exploration and organization/study habits workshop! Another huge thank you to Ms. Ortiz for leading R&C students through a mindful communication and collaboration workshop!
Projects! Presentation Zen:
We just finished our second and final project of the semester, Presentation Zen! To learn more about what students explored over the past couple of months, read the Project Guidelines or better yet have your student present their slides in front of you! Students answered the driving question, What is my dream career and lifestyle and how do I get it?
Entrepreneurial Mindsets/ DireLights
Thank you’s!!! Misty Lackie! She has given her time, expertise and money to provide our students with an amazing authentic experience in Social Media Marketing! Not only is she an amazing CCNTH parent supporter but has given back to our team of young entrepreneurs with special workshops she designed and delivered during our class meeting time.
Check out page 6 of the EdCorps Yearbook and discover more about DireLights!!! Keep checking back on our website, DireLights.com, to purchase candles. We SOLD OUT at the Olde Towne Nipomo Family Christmas Makers Market, but will have some candles available for sale throughout finals week. Any orders placed on or after Friday, Dec 17 will be available for pick up or shipping on January 10, 2022.
Makerspace - Mrs. Doyle
Students are working on independent projects that they have designed. Student projects include a multitude of mediums and perspectives, including escher prints, vinyl designs, wood burning, laser cutting, and more.
Psychology & Sociology - Mr. Sanson
We have had a great semester in Psychology class including weekly student-led Socratic Discussions that merge concepts in psychology and issues that are important to our students. For our project covering Psychological Disorders, students researched, wrote and presented an in-depth Case Study and Treatment Plan focused on a specific person. Our current project, the last one of the semester, is a student-driven deep dive focused on a psychological topic of choice. Students will be presenting their topics as their final exam. It has been a great semester and we are looking forward to shifting gears to Sociology next semester.
History Thru Film - Ms. Cocuzzo
Through this class, students are challenged to analyze the role films play in shaping our view of history - events, people, culture, attitudes, beliefs.. the list goes on.
→ Last week, students presented their final products for the Societal Fears film unit. Students were tasked to create a written or visual product that responded to the driving question of the class - whether films are more helpful or harmful in regard to our understanding of history.
Advisory
Last week, students finished their first unit of passion projects. There are three passion project units conducted through Advisory over the course of the school year. Teachers offer different classes to take that students are interested in and elect to sign up for. Examples of classes include (but are not limited to): ultimate frisbee, bullet journaling, yoga, music appreciation, and astronomy. When we return from winter break, students will begin unit 2 of passion projects.
CLUBS
Alternate History - Wednesdays at Lunch, Room 900
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American Sign Language | Wednesdays at Lunch | Room 910
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BStrongLife Club | Tuesdays at Lunch | Outside Room 900
Led by Pastor Ralph and Pastor Kathleen Hernandez.
Dungeons & Dragons | Wednesdays after school, 3-4 | Room 905
The D&D club develops characters and we play the game of Dungeons and Dragons.
Gaming | Tuesdays at Lunch | Room 918
We offer a place for students to gather to discuss their favorite games.
Garden | Even Tuesdays at Lunch | Room 908
We learn how to care for plants and keep them alive!
Hysterical Artists
HA is so pleased to be teaming up with the NHS Music Department for their first show! Sunday, December 12 from 3-5pm in the outdoor NHS Quad you are invited to jump on the HAliday BANDwagon (see what we did there?) and attend a free show. Donations are always welcome! Follow us @hystericalartists to stay informed.
You’ll also want to keep these dates open for our regular shows at the NHS Forum at 7pm. Tickets will be $5 for entry. January 27, February 24, March 31, April 28
Leo Club | Fridays at Lunch | Room 908
Looking for students who are invested in helping their community and school! It’s a great way to get your required community service to graduate and have a fun time doing it!
LGBTQ&A | Thursdays at Lunch | Room 908
A safe space for students to express themselves!
National Honor Society | Mondays at Lunch | Room 919
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Nipomo Theatre Company
Time to update your calendar! Students are going to be working hard this next semester for two different shows. Follow us @nipomotheatreco and on facebook to stay informed.
MEN ON BOATS by Jaclyn Backhous, directed by Zach Johnson - March 17, 18, 19
9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL by Dolly Parton and Particia Resnick, directed by Cadence Mitchell - May 5, 6, 7