Wolfpack Pride
December 16th, 2022
Principal's Update
Hello Wolfpack!
I want to express my gratitude for the community I have the honor to serve. We are a community the cares for one another and strives to treat each other with kindness. We are a community of many talents that we freely share with one another and, most importantly, our students.
Our school strives to ensure that every student is seen as a valued member of the school community. Within our classrooms, our collective goal is to support the whole child for the good of the entire community. We want each student to be filled with passion, commitment, and a willingness to lead.
Family partnerships are a critical part of all that we hope to accomplish. Thank you for entrusting us with your most precious gift.
I am grateful for our wonderful and resilient students. Often, they make us laugh, sometimes they exasperate us, but always they make us think. Most of all, they make us better -- better people and better educators.
As the New Year draws near, I want to extend my thanks to all of you for everything that you do for our school. To the parents and friends of the North Central community, please have a safe and happy holiday season.
The strength of the wolf is in the pack.
Tami McCracken
This Week's Events
Winter Break: December 19th - January 2nd
- All offices open by appointment only
Saturday, December 17th
- Cheer at Ferris, 1:50 PM (Exact performance time may change)
Tuesday, December 20th
- Boys Basketball at Lake City, 7:00 PM
Wednesday, December 21st
- Wrestling Tournament at Rogers, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday, December 29th
- Girls Basketball vs Coeur D’Alene High School, 7:00 PM
Tuesday, January 3rd
- Boys Basketball vs. Gonzaga Prep, 5:30 PM
- Gymnastics at Mead Gymnastics Center, 6:00 PM
- Girls Basketball vs. Gonzaga Prep, 7:00 PM
Wednesday, January 4th
- Wrestling at Mead, 7:00 PM
Thursday, January 5th
- Wrestling vs. U-High, 7:00 PM
Friday, January 6th
- Girls Basketball at Lewis & Clark, 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball at Lewis & Clark, 7:00 PM
- Girls Basketball vs. Clarkston, 3:00 PM
Community Celebrations
Fall Sports GSL Awards
Girls XC
Kendall Carter – 1st Team Selection
Boys XC
Micaiah Aiden – Honorable Mention Selection
Volleyball
Kelsie Delp – 2nd Team Selection (Middle Blocker)
Stephanie Leach – 2nd Team Selection (Outside Hitter)
Football
Xander Shaw – 2nd Team Selection - Offense (OL)
Nick Elliott – Honorable Mention Selection - Offense and Defense
Girls Soccer
Emily Todd – 1st Team Selection (Forward)
Raelene Guererro – 2nd Team Selection (Defense)
Slowpitch Softball
Mia Sebesto – 1st Team Selection (Infield)
Emily Richardson earns Congressional Nomination for US Naval Academy
The congresswoman's website describes the application process as "arduous," including a comprehensive application and an interview with a panel of experts to determine the best candidate for the military academy. It says: "Serving in our armed forces is one of the greatest commitments someone can make to the United States of America, and to protecting and promoting liberty and freedom around the world." The selection team evaluated Emily's academic qualifications, leadership ability, and physical aptitude to ensure that she would be a successful candidate for the US Naval Academy.
Emily is a leader in our school on the Cheerleading team, Leadership, NC Science Club, Link Crew, and so much more. You most recently saw her at the Winter Con today leading us all in learning the cheers for Groovy Shoes. We are so proud of her accomplishments and leadership and wish her well in her continued service to our community and country.
DECA State Qualifiers
This past Monday the NC DECA students competed with 800 Business and Marketing Students representing all the high schools in the Spokane Area for an opportunity to qualify for the DECA state conference. Finalists in the DECA state conference will have an opportunity to compete in the DECA International Career Development Conference which will be held in Orlando, Florida this year.
This was the first time NC DECA students were able to compete in person since 2019, due to covid restrictions. The past two years the DECA competition was held virtually. This year also had the most DECA students competing at the area competition in the 26 years Mr. Ortega has been the DECA advisor. Competitors are required to dress in professional attire. Students competed in impromptu and pre-prepared presentations. Their qualifying scores were based on a 100- question business test and presentation scores. Events ranged from Automotive services marketing, Advertising and Financial services.
Congratulations to the following students for qualifying for the State in the Following events:
- Brady Rapp - Automotive Services Marketing
- Alaina Gott - Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan
- Eli Lucas - Entrepreneurship Services
- Forrest Yegge - Financial Consulting
- Abbi Muller - Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
- Liberty Borgeson - Hotel and Lodging Management
- Raelene Guerrero - Marketing Campaign/Event
- Marlee Schoeffler - Marketing Campaign/Service
- Brooklyn Lawrence - Marketing Campaign/Service
- Abigail Spencer - Marketing Campaign/Servide
- Liam Carter - Marketing Communications
- Emmett Mcalerney - Professional Sales
- Joey Jenkins - Professional Sales
- Bria Cross - Restaurant and Food Service Management
- Maddix Dutton - Restaurant and Food Service Management
- Ellie Hollingsworth - Travel and Tourism Marketing Management
- Katie Turnbull - Travel and Tourism Marketing Management
- Gabriella Van Inwegen - Student Based Enterprise
- Maya Turnbull - Student Based Enterprise
- Jenna Wilcox - Student Based Enterprise
- Abbigail Muller - Student Based Enterprise
- Ellie Bartlett - Student Based Enterprise
- Joey Jenkins - Student Based Enterprise
Team Ervin Celebrated for Community Contributions
NC Boys Basketball Head Coach Andre Ervin and his three children Jacori, Juju, and Shalene were celebrated this week in this writeup in the Spokesman-Review. All three students play on NC's varsity basketball teams and together their family is "ushering in a new era for the Wolfpack."
Coach Ervin says "We got a thing we call ‘Go Team Ervin....The goal is to become a big, influential basketball family in the region. And not just that – we want to lift the community up."
Shalene writes about playing and working on Team Ervin: "It’s something that we all stand by...All of us are always hyping each other up, making each other better always."
Jacori and Juju spoke of the fun they're having playing together this year:
- “It’s amazing playing with my brother,” Juju said. “It’s something I’ve always been wanting to do because I never really played with him growing up. But now I’m playing with him, and it’s really dope.”
- “I can feel Juju’s energy when I’m playing defense with him,” Jacori said. “Offensively, when Juju is in the game, he lets me go 1-on-1, or I could pass it to Juju, and he’s just really reliable to finish that. So, it feels fantastic playing with my brother.”
“This would not even be possible without the type of support here at North Central,” Andre Ervin said. “We raise these kids here as a village. The teachers, the administrators, they give me all the support in the world here at North Central. We think of North Central as a Wolfpack village, you know?”
Read the whole article here to catch up on all of the details. Thanks for your contributions, Team Ervin! You are such an essential part of the Wolfpack family.
Fall Sweatshirt Project
Every year, social studies teacher Matt Johnson leads the effort to raise money to purchase sweatshirts for NC students. This year we were able to hand out over 200 to students! Thank you to everyone who supported this effort. Many students were grateful, and already sporting their Wolfpack Pride!
Counselors enjoyed setting up a little "North Pole" in the office to give out the presents and celebrate the holiday season with our students.
Announcements and Events
Systems for Gathering Student Voice
North Central High School is committed to listening and responding to the student experience. We have four teams of students that feedback is routinely gathered.
- Student Leadership: Student Leadership is a class embedded within the school day. Ms. Munoz leads this group of students and partners with Ms. Gustafson, assistant principal, regularly. This team supports many events and activities here at the school, including Groovy Shoes, as well as serving as a conduit of feedback.
- Servant Leadership: Another embedded course, Servant Leadership is facilitated by Mr. Leonard and partnered with Jessica Everman, assistant principal. This group of committed students supports the wellness of our school including One Pack Day coming this winter.
- Student Advisory Group: SAG is a team of twenty-two high school students chosen by their counselor and peers. They are seen as natural leaders in the school that other students feel safe sharing their concerns with. This group meets monthly with Ms. McCracken, principal, and Ms. Hayes, assistant principal.
- Middle School Advisory Group: MSAG is like the high school team. Fifteen middle school students identified by their counselor and peers come together to help the teachers and administrators understand their experiences.
SAG has identified concerns and organized into small teams to work towards solutions. Specifically, they will be tackling advisory, vaping in the bathrooms, and how to make our middle school students feel more comfortable. Students are tasked with reaching out to other students and searching for potential solutions.
Recently, SAG member Ava Gomez participated in the Spokane Public Schools Student Advisory Group that was hosted at On Track Academy. High School students from across the SPS came together to address common issues of concern around student well-being and helping students find agency within school. Ava will bring this information back to North Central’s SAG in January.
NC Fine Arts Celebrates the Holiday Season
At the same time, the art department showcased their projects on boards in the Skylight and Main Entrance. I hope you took time to stop by, read some of the comments, and view the incredible creative work our students put together. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
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.
Attendance Matters
With Winter Break approaching, we want to extend our gratitude to everyone that helps support and encourage our students to attend school and engage in their classes regularly. Our attendance means a great deal to us!
Our daily attendance records can serve as an indicator for a student’s graduation progress, help us determine if there are underlying barriers at home and the well-being of the student, or another sign that means our student may be having difficulty engaging with school.
As we near the end of the calendar year, we want to share data that shows the importance of attending school every day. If you or your student find yourself struggling with engaging or being in school, there are many options that we offer here to help develop a routine!
Please click here to read our full attendance letter and view data about attendance rates at our school.
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!
Student Carolers
Winter Break Office Hours
The North Central offices will be open by appointment only from 12/19/22-1/2/23 for the Holiday Break. Thank you!
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.
Upcoming Mixer Guidelines
As we look toward the end of the semester and our next mixer on February 10th, we wanted to make sure all students are aware of our updated dance guidelines.
The winter mixer on February 10th will be open only to North Central High School students in Grades 9-12. Guests from other schools and IST students may not attend. In addition, school administration will be reviewing all students' grades, discipline history, and attendance rates at the end of first semester in order to determine eligibility to attend the dance. Students with multiple F grades, out-of-school suspensions, or attendance rates below 70% will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may not be able to participate.
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.
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.
Groovy Shoes Coming Soon!
Students Celebrate at NC for Dinner, Dancing, and Theater
Ms. Goodwin and Mr. Santos' 9th grade English class had a night out of dinner, dancing, and a great theatre experience! They met at their classroom in NC for dinner and dancing at 5:30 PM on Friday the 9th, which proved to be a hit for everyone. The dessert table overflowed, leaving tons of treats for students to take home to their families. After dinner, students and staff went to the show, "Shakespeare in Love," which started at 7:00 PM. This play came at the perfect time for the 9th grade English classes as they finished Romeo and Juliet. This was the best way to end the unit and to celebrate a classic. As the 9th grade students move into their next units, we hope to do more activities that encourage active participation in class and in the Wolf Pack community!
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.
Celebrating our NC Administrative Support
On Friday, NC administration put together a holiday breakfast to celebrate our fabulous office staff that keep everything around here running smoothly. We would be literally lost without these incredible women who keep us organized and supported. Even when things are busy and difficult, they are always smiling, patient, and full of cheer. We appreciate you so much!
If you happened to call or come in Friday morning while administrators were running the phones and doors - we're sorry! We did our best but we had big shoes to fill.
Bank of America Student Leadership Application
CALLING STUDENT LEADERS: Applications for the Bank of America Student Leaders program are now being accepted.
Student Leaders is an eight‐week summer experience for current high school juniors and seniors. The program includes a paid internship with a local nonprofit organization and an invitation to the Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., July 17-24, 2023 (expenses paid).
The program gives students the opportunity to develop and apply leadership skills through hands‐on community work while discovering their own talents for serving their community and leading others.
Visit bankofamerica.com/studentleaders for eligibility requirements and to apply. SPS high school counselors also have this information; please connect with your counselor for support.