New Tech High School
February 2020 Newsletter
Mission: Empower students for success in a global society by cultivating leaders who exemplify 21st century skills and Trust, Respect, Responsibility, and Excellence.
Message from Principal Ellwein
Dear New Tech Families,
It is hard to believe that we are already in the 2nd semester and the registration process for the 2020-21 school year is upon us! Mrs. Donohoe has visited all five middle schools during the month of January to help our incoming 9th graders register for high school. Mrs. Donohoe is now working on the registration process with all our current students. This is the time for parents/guardians to sit down with your child and review his/her high school registration and 4-year plan. Please take the time to help your child plan for his/her future. There are many wonderful elective options available to our students: tuition free college dual enrollment options and senior year internships are also options to consider as you think through all of this carefully with your student. If you have any questions regarding registration please contact our counselor, Mrs. Donohoe. Here is a link to the online course book that includes registration information on courses available at NTHS, I hope this link is helpful. https://sites.google.com/k12.sd.us/hs-courseguide/home
Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up this month. We look forward to seeing parents/ guardians either Monday, February 10th or Tuesday, February 11th from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm both evenings. We hope to see you all there!
During the month of January, we hosted Education Majors from Augustana University, as they study different educational options and learn more Project and Problem Based Learning. The focus of their visit was to learn what PBL and PrBL are and how they might incorporate these teaching techniques into their future classrooms.
Here are their likes from the experience:
We also hosted a site visit from Prairie Lakes Educational Agency, in January. They also enjoyed their time in our school and voiced that they felt rejuvenated seeing this model of teaching and learning.
Here are the likes from the experience:
It is evident in the list of Likes from the Augustana students and the teachers/administrators from Prairie Lakes Educational Agency, that we have a very special environment at New Tech, thanks to our amazing students and staff not to mention all the parental support we receive! We will be hosting USF education majors on February 13th. They are also looking to learn more about Project and Problem Based Learning.
I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank the New Tech parents that volunteer at New Tech as part of the Booster Club; as community partners on projects or in helping at our many events. The next Booster Club meeting will be on February 3rd from 6-7pm, we would love to see you there to help us continue to grow and drive our school to be its best. Even if you are not a Booster Club member, we NEED your support with our Puppy Chow fundraiser. This fundraiser, much like our annual bake sale is only successful if we have parents donate Puppy Chow so we can sell it and make a profit to support upcoming projects, provide senior scholarships, bussing for field trips and any other assistance the staff and students at New Tech need financially. Please send your donation to the school with your student or drop it by yourself on or before February 3rd. Our office will be open on Feb. 3rd from 7am-3pm even though we do not have school that day. Our school is as successful as it is due to your support of our staff and students. New Tech parents are fantastic!!
Thank you all for your continued support of New Tech. If you have any questions, we encourage you to reach us at 367- 5850.
Sincerely,
Dolly Ellwein, Principal
Calendar
February
3rd—No School for students—Professional Development for staff
--Booster Club mtg. 6-7pm at New Tech
4th and 5th—Booster Club Puppy Chow Fundraiser—Before and After school
4th—Jostens--Sophomore Class ring presentation
5th—Serve and Learn Student Association (SALSA) mtg.—during A and B lunches
6th—House Day activities during 1st block—adjusted schedule
7th—Midterm of Quarter 3
10th –Parent/Teacher Conferences—4-7:30pm—NTHS Cafeteria
--Internship Presentation for interested students and parents—room 189—6-6:30pm
11th- Parent/Teacher Conferences—4-7:30pm—NTHS Cafeteria
12th—Midterm grades updated in ECHO after 4pm
14th—Happy Valentine’s Day
17th & 18th—President’s Day Break—No School
19th—School Resumes
March
2nd—Booster Club mtg—6-7pm at New Tech
The Class of 2020 Preps for COMMENCEMENT
This spring season is full of senior events. As you, as parents, are preparing for open houses and graduation celebrations, we are also getting ready for the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2019.
On Friday, May 8, we will have a senior graduation ceremony meeting at 10:30 a.m. in the Café, followed by a picnic lunch and games on the lawn. Food and fun will be provided at no cost to our Class of 2020 graduates! The meeting is MANDATORY for all students who wish to participate in the commencement ceremony! Caps and gowns are distributed to students on this day. If you have not yet ordered your cap and gown – please contact Jostens 605-336-3990.
Sunday, May 24 at 11:00 a.m. marks the seventh annual New Tech Commencement ceremony. We hope that all of our families would be able to come and celebrate with us at the Sioux Falls Arena. (There is no limit on how many family members can attend the Commencement ceremony and no tickets are necessary.) What follows is important information that senior parents need to pay special attention to as it pertains to the commencement ceremony. There is also a page included in this Newsletter that outlines the Commencement Rules; students will receive a copy of this at the Senior Meeting on May 8th as well.
These exciting senior events are fast approaching. This is an exciting time for students, parents/guardians, relatives, and friends. To help the commencement ceremony be a pleasant and dignified experience for all, New Technology High School would like to provide information concerning graduation procedure.
We are thankful to be in the first time-slot for the Commencement Ceremony! Please allow plenty of time to park, get through security and find a seat in the Arena. We are asking students to arrive and be lined up at 10:15 a.m. For parents and guests, we are asking that you please fill all of the blue seats and the seats on the floor of the Arena before moving into the balcony spaces. This will help make our ceremony more intimate.
We are asking students to dress in attire that is appropriate for a more formal celebration. Gentlemen are asked to wear collared shirts, slacks, dress socks, and dress shoes (not sandals, flip-flops, or tennis shoes). Ladies need to wear dresses or dress slacks. Again, ladies should wear dress shoes (not flip-flops). Mortarboards should be worn “flat” on a graduate’s head and may not be decorated. If attire presents a hardship for this student, please let Ms. Ellwein, Principal, know immediately. Students will not be allowed participate in the ceremony if they are improperly dressed.
Please inform your student that air horns, inflatable balls, or other items of distraction will be confiscated. It is disrespectful to students and families when names cannot be heard because of distractions from the audience. We also encourage people to leave cell phones and pagers in their vehicles. Students who misbehave will not receive their diplomas held by administration.
The recessional is the closing of the ceremony. After being presented by the administration, seniors will exit as directed by the ushers. In order to facilitate this process, we ask that you do not leave your seats until after all of the seniors have had an opportunity to recess out. We need to be respectful of the fact that there is another ceremony that follows the New Tech ceremony and exit the Arena in an efficient manner.
Students must be at the Arena by 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 24th. Signs will be posted for students so they will know where to line up. Students with last names “A” – “J” will be lining up on the west side of the Arena; students with last names “K” – “Z” will line up on the east side of the Arena. Commencement will start promptly at 11:00 a.m.
We want to thank you in advance for your cooperation and support. We want our commencement ceremony to be a formal occasion dedicated to the recognition of the achievement of these students.
Students will be able to pick up their diplomas at the New Tech on May 28 and 29 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. You are reminded that the New Tech office is closed from June 1 to August 5, so please make sure you pick up your materials before the office closes. In order to pick up diplomas, students must have passed all graduation required courses, returned all materials and equipment, and paid all fines/fees. In order to have final transcripts sent, students must have also completed and recorded all community service hours.
If you have any questions concerning senior events, please call Heidi Jorgenson at 605-367-5850.
Counselors Corner
Class Registration for 2020-2021 school year
During the month of December, Mrs. Donohoe has been visiting Seminars to work with students on their 4 year course plan, specifically their classes for next school year. Starting the end of January, Mrs. Donohoe will be visiting Seminars again to finalize their class registration for the 2020-2021 school year. As a parent, it is important to visit with your child about their class choices. Graduation requirements and a list of class options are available on Mapping Your Future on ECHO. Students can also access their current transcript on Infinite Campus. If you have any questions, please contact Vickie Donohoe, NTHS Counselor, 367-5850.
Students and Staff of the Month
New Tech Community Partners - January 2020
Andrew Fritz, Head Roaster - Coffea (Geometry)
Dan Sinkgraven, Wholesale Director - Coffea (Geometry)
Jenna Chaplin, Founder/Owner - Coffea (Geometry)
Darin Kaihoi, CEO - Coffea (Geometry)
Miles Rausch and Mikey Martinez, Writer and Illustrator for Empire Comic Books (AmEx)
Mary Toso, Career Development - Augustana University (Professional Development 201)
Terra Kerska, Internship Coordinator - SD Dept of Labor (Professional Development 201)
Heidi Jorgenson, NTHS Asst Princ - Dave Ramsey Talk (Personal Finance)
Breck Miller, Community Relations Coordinator - LSS Center for Financial Resources (Personal Finance)
Eric McDonald, Former CEO - Docutap/Experity (Entrepreneurial Mindset)
Jeremy Brown, Owner - Throne Publishing (Entrepreneurial Mindset)
Ryan Soukup, Game Day Marketing - Sky Force (Marketing)
Leah Jaeger - Marmen Energy (Senior Seminar - 401)
Kylie VanderMater - Raven Industries (Senior Seminar - 401)
Samantha McFarlane - Showplace Cabinetry (Senior Seminar - 401)
Brad Hempstead - Walsworth Yearbook Representative (Yearbook)
Contact us
Email: Dolly.Ellwein@k12.sd.us
Website: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/new-technology
Location: Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-367-5850
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siouxfallsnewtech/