Bronco News
For all of our Bronco Families and Students
Student Behavior- Social Media - and HOMEWORK for our families.
This month, we have seen some new behaviors, and some serious issues over social media. From the Tik Tok trend that everyone by now has heard about that has resulted in bathroom destruction nation-wide, to continued disrespect to peers through line cutting and food throwing, and now social media trolling and harassment. As I share this, I want to reiterate that while the behaviors are coming from a small percentage of students, the impact is much greater and affecting many.
1- Line cutting- with our food services department working feverishly to serve all students in a small space and in 30 minutes, some of our students continue to act with impatience and immaturity, jumping in front of others in line and disregarding others and the instructions of adults. We address these behaviors as we see them, and with repeat offenders, have ramped up discipline as necessary. It is a bit baffling at a high school, yet here we are.
Note- While the cafeteria has successfully served 800-900 meals in this short amount of time every single day, we are working to alleviate the crowding issue- we have ordered new stantions to help define our lines a bit better, and are working to prepare an outdoor serving space so that students can get their meals from two sources.
2- Food throwing- this behavior continues, with students throwing anything from carrots to waterbottles at each other, or on the ground. Typically it begins with students throwing things at their "friends", increasing to a back and forth, and then inadvertently or mischievously involves a bystander.
Both of these choices have resulted in physical fighting, administrative and parent meetings, suspensions and behavior contracts. I wanted to share how quickly these things can escalate, and why while it may feel like a nuisance more than a problem it must be stopped.
3- Social media- opinion based on experience- this is the single most dangerous place for our students. It is largely unmonitored at home, cannot be monitored by the school, and is difficult to investigate when something occurs, both for law enforcement and for school administration. It is an open, public forum that many of our students assume is private. Recently, we have seen several disturbing and blatantly aggressive, racist, homophobic, sexist and hateful comments, posts and videos being shared, with little to no recourse because they cannot always be tracked. The two platforms most commonly used in these incidents are Snapchat, where students can post comments, pictures or memes in a disappearing thread, or on Discord, where usernames are formulated on the spot and untraceable, and conversations disrupted by trolls.
Yesterday, we had three separate student groups on Discord get joined by another person who then posted shocking, vulgar and hateful statements, and a shock video. The only course of action that students can take in these instances are to block the offending user and report it to discord, in hopes that they investigate internally and take action.
As a school, we cannot monitor social media nor your child's phone. Incidents are very difficult to investigate. Ultimately, this work needs to begin at home. Social media safety and oversight remain of high importance even for our students in high school, a time where our families want to allow for and support increasing independence.
Actions we are taking in school will include increased focus on awareness and education for our students, and of course, open communication with our families.
An interesting article in terms of how our students' social media footprints can affect their future- https://www.edweek.org/leadership/yes-college-admissions-officers-do-look-at-applicants-social-media-survey-finds/2020/01
We thank you for your continued partnership in shaping our students into responsible, empathetic, global citizens. I will continue to be transparent in what we are seeing in school, and I open my door for our families to do the same.
Yours in partnership,
Kelly Cooper
Principal
Girls VB places 2nd at Tournament!
Voter Registration Day at NHS
Our student section bringing the energy!
Quarter 1 is closing- let's take a look.
Hello Bronco Families,
The first quarter ends this week. We have seen a lot in the last 9 weeks, and I wanted take a moment to address some of these things, and give a glimpse of what is to come.
- Homecoming week is now! Kids are participating in our spirit days (and staff too!) and it brings great conversation and smiles around campus. Continuing through Friday, tomorrow is broken down classes by decades (staff is 2000's, which is a tough one- ideas are welcome. Is it bad if our fashion as adults hasn't shifted much since then?) and Friday is Neon.
- Homecoming game is on Friday. The first game is a Frosh/Soph at 4:30, and the second is our Varsity Homecoming game against Berean Christian. There will be homecoming royalty announcements and events before the game, and the Royal Family announcement at Halftime, along with performances. There will be plenty of food options with our outstanding concession stand and some pre-game options in front of the stadium. It is also Neon night- so show your spirit and glow! TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE, ONLINE.
- Homecoming dance/carnival is Saturday. Students require a completed contract as well, including either a vaccination card or a negative Covid test. More details and a Q&A about this event are below.
- Monday there is no school for students. Our staff will be involved in a professional development day.
- Makeup pictures are Tuesday October 12th. Look for a ParentSquare/email from Ms Ravina with details about this.
- Quarter 1 grades will be finalized next week, and sent home at the end of the week. Quarter grades are good indicators for progress in a class, and are added to 2nd quarter grades to formulate the SEMESTER grade, which is the one that is indicated on transcripts. Many of our teachers continue into the 2nd quarter, some may create a new gradebook for the 2nd quarter and bring them together at semester. Either way, most classes have a final project or final exam at the end of December during our scheduled Final Exams, and this places a bearing on that semester grade as well.
If you have questions about your students' grades:
- Look first for missing assignments in the google classroom or Homelink.
- Pay special attention to weighting in a class, where in some subject areas tests are heavily weighted and homework is very lightly weighted. There are many reasons for this practice that is backed by educational research, but students and parents should be aware of this weighting so that they can focus efforts appropriately.
- Work with your student's teacher with questions to understand what might be occurring, and how to progress forward.
- Contact your academic counselor for further assistance, ideas or strategies for increased academic performance.
Read on for more!
Seniors spirit day... dressed as seniors.
Frosh/Soph Girls Cross Country wins at Artichoke Classic!
National Day of the Custodian-
Homecoming Week
Students are strongly encouraged to participate, as class competitions begin!
The theme for Homecoming this year- The Greatest Showman Carnival
Monday October 4- Animal Print
Tuesday October 5- Grades 9-11- family day at the carnival- teenagers, mom jeans, fanny packs, dad shirts, and toddlers- all are welcome! Grade 12 - senior citizens.
Wednesday October 6- Wacky mismatch- crazy socks, funky prints, eye catching hats- time to be creative!
Thursday October 7- Through the Decades- 9th grade- 50's, 10th grade- 60's, 11th grade- 70's, 12th grade- 80's
Friday October 8- All out NEON!
Monday, Oct 4, 2021, 08:00 AM
Northgate High School, Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Homecoming Game- October 8th - Broncos vs Berean Christian
Tickets are otherwise $5 for students, $10 for adults. Purchase in advance online or at the gate.
Joining us this evening will be the class of 1981, for their 40th reunion!
We look forward to a great game! GO BRONCOS!
Homecoming Dance
Homecoming dance will be one for the books! Our first outdoor dance, with a carnival theme- this event will be held on the blacktop, featuring games, Henna tattoos, a photobooth, food stations, caricaturists, mini golf, DJ, and lots of dancing!
No outside guests are allowed at homecoming dance.
-Vaccinated students must upload their vaccination record to the contract. Fully vaccinated students are not required to test for this event.
-All unvaccinated students attending must get Covid tested and show proof of a negative test. This test must be drawn between September 29 and October 6th, and results can be uploaded through the required homecoming contract. Testing is available free at Northgate High School on Mondays and Fridays (with Wednesdays reserved for athletes' weekly testing) between 3pm and 6pm. The forms required for testing are attached.
-Students may choose mask for this event, and will need to arrive in masks for check in. They are not required to remain masked throughout the event, as it is entirely outdoors.
Tickets will go on sale today, and are $50 for students with an ASB sticker, $55 without. These prices will not increase. ALL TICKETS must be purchased by October 6th. Tickets are non-refundable, with the exception of a student with a positive COVID test or Covid symptoms. Students exhibiting symptoms cannot and should not attend. Students attending must also complete the dance contract, which is online here. (and will be posted with the tickets on the website)- Please remember when using the webstore to avoid browsers like Firefox and Safari- The webstore works best in Chrome. Tickets purchased before this announcement are still valid, but the associated contract must be updated to complete this current contract.
Common Questions:
Do our students need to bring anything? Money, ID, ticket (we didn't get tickets!)
Students should bring their student ID's, warm layers, and a smile! We will have a list at the check in, and we will be searching all bags (they should simply not bring them, not a lot of places to put them safely)
Any food at the event is included in the cost of the ticket. We recommend they plan to eat beforehand, as meals will not be served. Students will receive a ticket to stop by the food station for one of the options available, and food is limited. We jumped from 400 tickets on Monday to 900 as of today.
Saturday, Oct 9, 2021, 06:30 PM
Northgate High School, Castle Rock Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Welcome to our new campus supervisors and Vice Principal!
Campus Supervisors
Michelle Bowers- Michelle joins us after moving back to her Concord hometown from Oregon. She has spent much of her career in law enforcement and is excited to build relationships with students and serve as a great resource on campus.
Mark Mooney- Mark coached high school wrestling and taught PE in San Bruno several years ago, and grew up in the San Francisco area. He is excited to be a Bronco and work with high school students again!
Vice Principal
Tyler Rosecrans- Mr. Rosecrans worked last year as a Vice Principal at Pine Hollow Middle School, and before then as a special education teacher for students with extensive needs in San Ramon. He is thrilled to call Northgate his new home and work with our families!
Campus Supervisor Mark Mooney
Campus Supervisor Michelle Bowers
Vice Principal Tyler Rosecrans
Girls Volleyball Dig Pink Game- TONIGHT!
Tragic loss for our Bronco community
From our head girls basketball coach, Jim Croy:
It is with a heavy heart that I share Eric Nicholas - father of Northgate basketball players Gabby and Ava - passed away in Hawaii while vacationing with his family. Eric was a great man who was so devoted to his family and loved the game of basketball. He spent countless hours photographing our girls, videoing all of our games and also has been coaching at Elevate for 5 years. He loved watching his kids play and always greeted everyone with a warm huge smile. Charity (Eric's wife) is being a champion but these are hard times for their family. Please consider helping them; a GoFundMe account has been set-up for their family to help get them through this difficult time.
Thank you NG Family for taking care of the Nicolas Family.
Financial Aid Night
Join us to learn about what Financial Aid is, how to apply and the costs of college!
Zoom link coming.
Thursday, Oct 7, 2021, 07:00 PM
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Colleges visit Northgate HS EVERY WEEK
Free Student/Staff COVID testing through MDUSD- UPDATES!
A new COVID testing schedule will begin on Monday, September 13th. This schedule will allow the testing company to staff more nurses at fewer sites, minimize the disruptions of daily school activities on fewer sites, and address the new requirements of testing for high school athletes and others. As we find lines getting long, we will communicate with the testing company that will provide additional nurses. The MDUSD website will be updated on Friday of each week with the testing schedule for the following week.
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"
To accommodate parents, other family members, and the community, our partners at PMH Labs will roll out a Saturday walk and drive-up testing center on the Concord High School campus from 8 am to 2 pm beginning Saturday, September 18th. It will be fully staffed with nurses and parking attendants to speed up the process for those needing testing, including those who may be symptomatic with active symptoms.
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
SATURDAY
Concord High School - Testing offered by PMH Labs - 8 am - 2 pm
Senior Portraits
Cap and Gown- Seniors
AP Exam Sign Ups NOW!
AP exam registration began Monday, Sept 13 and will go until Tues, Oct 26 (late registration Oct 27-29). Here is a helpful video in preparing to sign up, by our own Rebecca Proznick. . https://youtu.be/WRrWe-PGs80
Class Codes are available in each individual class. Check with your teacher.
Superintendent Dr Clark's Friday Letter
COVID GUIDELINES- please read
See below for more exhaustive protocols.
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- If your student has symptoms of illness, they should not attend school. If any of these symptoms are included in the COVID symptom list, regardless of vaccination status, your student will need to be tested. County testing sites are available, and testing is available through the district every Monday- see below for the schedule.
- Students who left school sick with symptoms that may be indicative of COVID may not return to school until they have a negative COVID test, or a doctor's note indicating an alternate diagnosis. If they test positive for COVID, they will be required to remain home for 10 days as long as symptoms subside. Negative COVID tests must be provided to the school to return before the 10 days.
- If a student is exposed directly to a person with a positive case of COVID, there is a flow chart to follow indicating what to do.
- If your student was exposed, and is vaccinated, they may attend school, and participate in activities. They should monitor symptoms, wear masks at all times while indoors, and get tested 3-5 days after the date of exposure.
- If your student was exposed, and is not vaccinated, if the persons involved were masked during this occurance and it occurred at school, they may attend school, but cannot participate in extra-curricular activities where a mask cannot be worn. They should monitor symptoms, and wear masks at all times, and get tested 3-5 days after exposure. If they were unmasked, or exposed at home, they will need to quarantine and test.
- In all of these instances, we ask that you please communicate what is occurring with the office- we are required to paritcipate in contact tracing and notifying our student community when they have potentially been exposed, and we must have open communication to accomplish this.
- Students missing school due to illness or exposure should communicate via email with their teachers, and stay updated on google classroom, where assignments will be posted.
NHS Academic Counselors are here to help!
Who do I contact?
Counselors return to work on August 9th
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
Vice Principals
- Last Name A-L Kara Ravina- ravinak@mdusd.org ext 3502
- Last Name M-Z Tyler Rosecrans- rosecranst@mdusd.org ext 3503
Northgate awarded US News & World Report Top Ranking- #6!
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