Wolfpack Pride
January 6th, 2022
Principal's Update
Hello Wolfpack!
Welcoming students back after winter break has been a lot of fun. I enjoy spending time chatting with students in the breakfast room or during hall passing. While I do appreciate the quiet, I much prefer the hustle and bustle of activity the students bring.
The next weeks have a lot going on for our NC Community. We will be hosting an M-IST Informational Night next Wednesday evening. If you have any friends asking about our middle school program, encourage them to attend. On Thursday, January 26, we will be hosting a Rising 9th Grade Information Night. This is for any current 8th grader wondering if NCHS is the right fit for them. We will showcase our academics, activities and athletics, and community partnerships in a fun-filled night with food and prizes.
North Central will also experience two of our essential community-building events. Groovy Shoes is coming up on February 1. This is an event that every student belongs at. We want your student there. The first step is purchasing a spirit pack, which will be available soon. Please encourage your student to pick one up early as we often do sell out. If you need help purchasing the spirit pack, please reach out to your school counselor.
Our second community-building event is called One Pack Day and will be on February 9. One Pack Day is a unique North Central experience. We set aside half a day each year to focus on the mental health and well-being of our students. Taking a proactive approach to create a healthier school environment is a commitment we make to our community and students. We engage in conversations to move towards our ideal of every student believing that they belong here at NC. More information about why One Pack Day began and what to expect will be a part of this message in the coming weeks.
The strength of the wolf is in the pack.
Tami McCracken
This Week's Events
Friday, January 6th
- Girls Basketball at Lewis & Clark, 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball at Lewis & Clark, 7:00 PM
- Dance Team at West Valley High School, 12 PM
- Girls Basketball vs. Clarkston, 3:00 PM
Tuesday, January 10th
- Girls Basketball at Ridgeline, 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball at Ridgeline, 7:00 PM
Wednesday, January 11th
- Middle School IST Information Night, 5:30 PM
- Gymnastics at Ridgeline, 6:00 PM
- Wrestling at Cheney, 7:00 PM
Thursday, January 12th
- Wrestling vs. Shadle Park, 7:00 PM
Friday, January 13th
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly, 8 AM
- Girls Basketball vs. Mead, 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball vs. Mead, 7:00 PM
Monday, January 16th - No School, MLK Day
Community Celebrations
NC Students Dominate 2022 Outdoor Writing Contest
Congratulations to NC students, who recently took 1st, 3rd, and Runner Up in the Spokesman-Review's Outdoor Writing Contest. You can read the full details in the Spokesman-Review, but here are the highlights.
Callie Toney, an NC Junior, won the competition with her short story, "The Warm Glow of the Campfire."
“Who doesn’t love a campfire? This story by Toney weaves the warmth and mind-wandering of sitting around the fire into the familiar,” writes John Stucke, an assistant managing editor at The Spokesman-Review and a judge of the 2022 contest. “Outdoor experiences are transactions with nature, and the author’s measured use of description and acknowledgment of worries, both big and small, against the calm and humor of a campfire offer something to look forward in the depth of winter.”
Third place went to Tommy Elliott, a junior at North Central High School, for a story titled “The Alaskan Frontier.” Runner-up was awarded to Marlee Schoeffler, a junior at North Central for “No, We Did Not Pee On It,” a humorous account of a jellyfish sting.
The finalists will continue in a national competition, with results to be announced in the spring. Congratulations!
Newly Certified and Recertified National Board Teachers at NC
National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students and schools. It was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. We are fortunate to have five certificated staff members either receive initial certification or renew certification this year. Congratulations NC Staff!
North Central - Tami McCracken - Principal
- Thomas Jacobs - Initial Certification
- Mark Douglas - Initial Certification
- William Johnson - Recertification
- Ashlee Munsey - Recertification
- Kerry Trepus - Recertification
NC Cheer Qualifies for State
The North Central Cheer Squad competed at the Eastside Classic Competition at Ferris on December 17th. They took first place in their category for Game Day Small Tumbling! They are headed to cheer state on February 2nd at Battleground, WA.
The cheer squad is also doing another fundraiser with Retro Donuts on Saturday January 28th from 10am-1pm OR until the donuts sell out! 25% of the proceeds go to the squad from 10am on! Come grab some donuts!
Gymnastics Celebrates Senior Night
Your NC gymnastics team is off to a great start! We have grown as a team and are working hard to represent our Wolfpack with pride. This year we are quite hopeful that we will send some athletes to state to compete! Pictured below is Brooklyn Lawrence during her beam routine.
We got to honor our seniors on Tuesday and enjoyed their big smiles; come to see them while you can! Our Senior athletes are Zoe Johnson, Amy Howlett, Layla Whitcomb, Anastasia Martinez, and Kathryn Lawrence. We have 4 regular season meets left and would LOVE support, plus we always have fun 😊
Upcoming Meets:
1/11 @ Ridgeline
1/17 @ Mead
1/24 @ Mead
1/30 @ Mead
Athletics Support Staff
The athletics department is sending a huge shoutout to our many staff that make game day run smoothly for our winter sporting events! This team consistently shows up for our athletes and does a great job running the events. Thanks for all of your support!
Pictured:
- Matt Halpin
- Duane Poffenberger
- Mark Vandine
- Lynne Frantz
- Sarah Myers
Not pictured:
- Emily Blunt
- Drake Zielske
- Riley Moore
- Bobbi Iszler
- Savannah Colletto
- Shamerica Nakamura
- Teri and Mike Keenan
- Ginger Alberry
- Val Talgo
- Zig Pavey
Announcements and Events
2nd Semester Schedule Change Process
On January 3rd, 2nd semester schedules will be handed out in 6th period. Changes to schedules will be made if there is a glaring error such as a missing period or you are scheduled for a class that you have already taken and passed. Change requests must be submitted to the counselor by January 10th. Student requests will be honored, if possible, during this time frame only. Students will be instructed to write the schedule concern on the back of the hard copy schedule they received, and put it in the counselor box in the student office by Monday, January 10th.
Middle School IST Information Night
Upcoming Mixer Guidelines
Our next mixer is on February 10th, and student ticket sales will be based on our updated dance guidelines. The following students are not eligible to attend the dance:
- Students from other schools, guests, or students not in grades 9-12
- Students with multiple failing grades for first semester
- Students who have had out-of-school suspensions during first semester
- Students whose attendance rate is below 70% for the semester
School administration may review individual students on a case-by-case basis. We encourage everyone to continue attending class, following school rules, and completing work to ensure you're able to participate in this event. The Junior class is hard at work preparing to make it a fun and engaging night for all of us.
Running Start Information Night
Current 10th and 11th graders – if you are interested in learning more about participating in Running Start next school year, please plan to attend our Running Start Information Night with our college partners from SFCC, SCC, and EWU. This meeting will be hosted online at 6 pm on Monday, February 6. We will share the Zoom link in the weekly newsletter and on the NC website as the date gets closer. Thank you!
Financial Aid Workshops
Now is a great time to start thinking about post-high school options for your students, and there are upcoming opportunities to learn about the FAFSA and the WASFA financial aid processes. Financial aid dollars can be used for apprenticeships, two-year colleges and four-year colleges.
The College Success Foundation will host virtual workshops in January and February, and will partner with STCU to host in-person FAFSA assistance events, to support any student and their family
Virtual Workshops:
- Tuesday, January 17 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, January 18 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday January 25 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Thursday, January 26 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Thursday, February 9 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, February 15 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Find more information, as well as what to have ready for the virtual workshops, here.
In-Person FAFSA Assistance Events at STCU:
Thursday, Jan. 19
- Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- Location: STCU Northtown Square Branch / 4747 N. Division St., Suite 105 / Spokane, WA 99207
Tuesday, Feb. 7
- Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- Location: STCU North Spokane Branch / 207 E. Hastings Road / Spokane, WA 99218
Thursday, Feb. 16
- Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
- Location: STCU Spokane Valley Branch / 13501 E. Sprague Ave. / Spokane Valley, WA 99216
- STCU also offers a FAFSA assistance web page with more information.
Thank you!
- Spokane Public Schools
Magazine Donations Needed
NC Pride Club and Shades Club Store
The NC Pride & Shades Club has the perfect holiday gift options for you! Check out our e-store to purchase hats, fanny packs, sweaters and more. Thanks for your support!
The store is open until Tuesday, January 10th.
US National Chemistry Olympiad Competition
NC will be participating in the 2023 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO). The primary goals of this program are to stimulate interest and achievement in chemistry among high school students throughout the United States and to provide recognition of outstanding young chemistry students, teachers, and schools.
We are currently seeking students to participate in this national program. Students will move through a series of competitions, starting at the local level and proceeding to a national exam in the spring, which regularly involves more than 1000 students. To review eligibility, follow this link: bit.ly/USNCO-Rules.
I encourage you to participate in this academic competition. All students who participate in the local competition will be recognized and presented with a certificate that they can include in their college portfolio. Students who sit for the national level of the competition receive additional certificate for national nominees and a commemorative lapel pin. Approximately 150 top scoring students receive recognition for outstanding performance at the national level. We hope this recognition will serve to stimulate interest in chemistry and to promote a positive attitude toward chemistry.
Students competing in the USNCO are eligible to be selected as members of the United States team for the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). For the past thirty-eight years, the United States has sent a team of four students to compete with nations around the world at the IChO. The students participate in examinations, get to know students from other countries, and learn about the host country’s culture over several days. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to the best performers, and the IChO provides students the opportunity to interact with their peers from other countries. The 55th international event will be organized by Switzerland, July 16-25, 2023.
Interested? Please complete this form to learn more about the program and our upcoming information sessions: bit.ly/2023LSEInfoSession. Thank you for helping promote chemical education in this country!
Yearbook Reminders
Senior Salutes are due on January 15th. Unfortunately we cannot any late salutes after that date, so please plan ahead to get yours in on time! Details are below.
Feed the Pack
Molina Healthcare has graciously agreed to match every dollar donated by our community, up to $5000 total. We would love your support, and right now your donation dollar will be doubled by Molina. Families can donate online on our payment portal or through the Business Office.
We are also accepting food donations such as granola bars, fresh fruit and vegetables, Gatorade powder, trail mix, beef jerky, and more! Check out our wishlist for more details. Items can be donated at NC.
Any questions? Please reach out to Shamerica Nakamura at 509-354-6219 or shamerican@spokaneschools.org.
Leadership Joint Service Project
To bring our community together, Leadership students from both North Central and Shadle Park came together to do a joint-community service project at the Salvation Army over winter break. It was a day of bonding and serving the community we share. Thank you to all who gave their time to serve our community!
Groovy Shoes Coming Soon!
Student ID Cards
To ensure student safety, after winter break, students will be required to have their student ID with them at school and will need to show their student ID when checking in late. Secretaries will no longer be using student ID numbers to check students in. If students do not have a student ID, they can request one in the Student Office. The 1st replacement is done at no cost, 2nd replacement is $5 and can be charged to your student account in the Business Office. See the Public Office if you have any questions.