S'More Community News - NPHS

We are working hard to prepare Students at North Platte High School to do one of the following at the end of 4 years of H.S.

1. pursue 4 year college

2. pursue 2 year college

3. Obtain Certifications in a field while in H.S.

4. Attend the Military

5. Be prepared for joining the workforce.

We realize that not all students fit into any one area. Our hope is that through consistency and building meaningful, professional, and accountable relationships with students, the opportunities we provide will prepare them to pursue post secondary opportunities that will make them happy, productive adults.

One of these opportunities comes on March 21st. Junior students at NPHS will be taking the NSCAS ACT Test and Sophomores will take the PreACT on this date. The NSCAS for Juniors is the state assessment for our High School. Each week from now to test date, students will be working in Bulldog Time to review On-to-college preparation for this exam. Every student has a login and password to this site that will allow them to work through the platform on their own in addition to the work they do in school. Please talk to your students about the importance of being here on the 21st of March to take this assessment as one of the markers our school is rated on is the participation on this test. There is prep for the PreACT that we will begin as well as we get closer. Doing well on these tests is important to keep doors open for future choices.

Here are some resources that will help you best understand the importance of how this test can impact future options for your child.

https://www.ontocollege.com/resources/

ACT SCORE CONVERSION CHART

Did you know: Students with 12 credit hours or more in advance one-tier at NPHS through MPCC that have a 3.7 GPA and a 24 on the ACT are provided full tuition at MPCC for the rest of their degree?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HCfqNjrHiL9BaTfxJ1EIW7daEIfFyVoM/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rGhchWfm99SnEa-oMNjAo5EqEyw1rG4Q/view?usp=sharing

We have started class selections for the 2023-24 school year starting with current juniors in Bulldog Time and will be followed by the sophomores, and freshmen.

Here is the 2023-24 course description book.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IFEnhEQ2EkmcJYRji3OfbqgwoshOFrqY/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110201992543065097093&rtpof=true&sd=true

Dual Credit Reimbursement Applications are due Jan. 31st.

Kearney Bound Application will be available starting Feb.1st.

Mid-Nebraska Scholarships are due Feb.28th-you can find the link to scholarships on the counselor's page on the website.

Click here to see more resources from the library!

The Basic Communications classes are getting under way for Term 3. During this first week, we set the stage for the rest of the Term by breaking down what different kinds of communication look like, and begin to practice these skills informally. This attention to detail leads us up to our first Summative Speech, The Informative Speech. Following our informative speech, we focus on a persuasive speech before finishing the term with a celebration speech.

We have begun our journey into the Middle Ages in Mr. Whitney's World History class. After learning about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, students are now gaining knowledge on what it was like to live in Medieval society. Topics include the feudal system, Medieval warfare, the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, and of course ... The Plague!

Much of our modern world has been formed by events in the past, and through our studies this semester students will become aware of how all of history is connected by a web of cause and effect.

My Name is Mrs. Mejia. I am currently teaching Spanish 1, 2, and 3.

I am still getting to know my students this semester and I am excited for this new year.

In Spanish 1 we are learning how to greet people and how to read the calendar. We are also learning colors, numbers, body parts, and the weather. I use songs to help students learn the vocabulary and also academic games to keep them motivated.

In Spanish 2 we are learning about families and celebrations. Students will share some pictures and information about their families. We are also reviewing what they learned in Spanish 1. We plan to have a birthday party celebration for 2 students in our class by singing “Feliz Cumpleaños” and the Piñata song while people break a piñata.

In Spanish 3 we are learning about classes and rules in the classroom. Students will talk about their schedules and the rules of each of their classes. We are also reviewing what they learned in Spanish 1 and 2.

I send REMIND messages to all of my students and parents about important things such as quizzes, tests and fiesta days!

Hi! I’m Sasha Welch and I teach dual credit math. For those who don't know me, I went to high school here at NPHS (Class of '04) and then got my Bachelor's Degree at UNK. I also received a Master's Degree in Math Education from Chadron State College in 2012 and my Master's Degree in Special Education with a gifted emphasis last May. I love all things math, and I am so excited that my second semester classes are getting underway! I currently teach Statistics, where we are working on displaying and representing data. Last week, we learned all the necessary vocabulary and methodology of data collection, so now we are learning how to use it. In Calculus, we are in the thick of our first unit that reviews any math from previous classes in order to prepare us for our real work next unit when we begin learning about limits! In College Algebra, we've been reviewing topics about functions and equations, and are looking forward to our first unit test next week! So far, all three classes have been working hard and are ready for what comes next!

My name is Emily Kearney, and I am one of the 9th-grade English teachers. I have been in education for 17 years, with this being my 4th year hear at NPHS. This semester both myself and Mrs. Boyer, the other 9th-grade English teacher, get the opportunity to test out the two curriculums the district is reviewing for purchase for next year. We are both excited to use these lessons in our classes! They are both very well-written and include some really interesting lessons. Currently, my classes are working through a unit entitled "American Voices." Throughout this unit, students will/are investigating what it means to be an American. The included lessons have them analyzing traditions, cultures, and experiences and how each of these play a role in creating identity. Students will write a nonfiction narrative essay at the end of the unit answering the question of how is an American identity created.

Hello! My name is Ms. Cepel and I am one of the Physical Educators here at NPHS. The classes I teach are Lifetime Activities and Aerobic Training. In my classes, we do a variety of games and activities that get kids moving as well as improving teamwork and other social skills. We do activities such as badminton, pickleball, ultimate frisbee, lawn games, and much more!

Welcome to Strength and Conditioning II, where the main goal is to get students bigger, faster,

stronger, and prevent injuries. Most of our students are athletes that reap the benefits of the weight room by maintaining current strength while improving body composition and conditioning. Our current program includes: 4-30 minute weight room workouts; 2-30 minute conditioning/speed training workouts, 1- 30 minute flexibility/mobility day and use extra time to stretch with bands and roll out on foam rollers. Each term we test twice in several exercises including Bench Press, Back Squat, Hang Clean, 10-yard dash, Pro Agility, Vertical, and Sit and Reach. These tests help us accurately gauge and track where we are at in our physical fitness levels.

New from Science Room 2209.

Astronomy: There is an opportunity to see the ZTF comet in the northern sky through the first week of February. Catch this green object with telescope or binoculers while you can, it only comes around every 50,000 years. Want to know more about Earth and the universe? Explore NASA websites. They are highly interactive and very interesting.

Dual Credit Biology and Human Anatomy with Physiology.

Students are experiencing the basic background information to prepare them for hands on labs including dissections. Dual credit is an inexpensive way to get college credit while learning in a moderate pace of instruction. Students can look forward to dissections at the end of the semester.

Digital media class has been working on the basics of Adobe Photoshop with some photo manipulation and design projects. Soon they will be adding themselves to far away places and famous movie scenes. Computer Applications class is gaining an understanding of the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel. They will be expanding their spreadsheets to include more and more functions as they go. Video Production class is jumping in to the basics of Adobe Premiere Pro. They are also working on basic shot structures, framing, and types of shots. Soon they will be learning the law around Copyright and Fair Use and will make a video mashup using this knowledge. Advanced video production students from last term are volunteering their time for post work on their documentary Water War: The Perkins County Canal Project. The documentary is scheduled to be released this March. Here is a first look at a trailer for the film:

https://youtu.be/KkZae9BmTOc

The North Platte Swim and Dive team is right back at it after the new year. The team traveled to the Kearney Invite and had some impressive swims. The girls team has gotten secondary state times in individual events from Dana Sorenson and Kadence Dowhower. The girls team has also qualified all three relays with secondary state times. Members include: Dana Sorenson, Sydney Hatch, Nora Wehr and Kadence Dowhower. The boys team has had a great start to the season also. The boys have two individual auto times for state. Tanner Schmid-Sutton ( new record ) and Cooper Leibhart both got auto times in the 100 Backstroke. Tanner also has secondary times in the 50/100 freestyle and the 100 Butterfly. Cooper also has a secondary state time in the 200 IM. The boys have qualified the two short relays for state with secondary state times. Members include: Noah Short, David Fitzpatrick, Cooper Leibhart and Tanner Schmid-Sutton. The Dive team currently has 7 athletes. The only returning diver is Mackenzie Bruns. They are working hard to perfect their 11 dive list to qualify for state ( 300 points needed ) The team has a total of 36 swimmers and the best part is that we have some amazing veteran swimmers that are a huge help to the novice swimmer and help them to improve on a daily basis. I couldn't do my job without the help of my amazing assistant coaches Jannean Kinder and Kathleen Craig. They are willing to step up on a daily basis and do whatever is necessary to help this team succeed!! GO DAWGS!!!

Coach Jahnke

Head Coach NP Swim and Dive

Our Bulldog Boys Basketball team is heading into the 2nd half of our season w/a big home win over Kearney Catholic this past weekend. This team can be described as resilient & gritty thus far! These boys compete their tails off & are a tight knit group that will continue to grow & improve. We are looking to be peaking at the right time towards the end of the season. We have FIVE home games left this year beginning with Sidney on January 14th. Hopefully you can come out & support our teams! GO DAWGS!

Orchestra is currently preparing music for their upcoming concert on February 6th at 7:30 p.m. The Band is also performing at this concert, and our combined theme will be music from around the world.

Student Council is holding a Wish Week fundraiser from 1/21 - 1/28 for a 10 year old boy from Ord named Blaizen who has a genetic disorder. Blaizen has been chosen by the Make-A-Wish foundation to receive a granted wish. His hope is to go to Disney World. Each day of the Wish Week is themed around Blaizen and his likes. Saturday the 21st, StuCo will host a Pay-to-Shoot game during halftime, along with a 50/50 raffle. Monday the 23rd is Dine to Donate at Dunkin Donuts (he likes donuts and a portion of what DD makes that day go to Blaizen's wish). Tuesday the 24th is Dine to Donate at Double Dips (he loves M&Ms and a portion of what Double Dips makes that day go to Blaizen's wish). Wednesday the 25th is Disney theme dress up day at the High School (his wish is to go to Disney World). Thursday the 26th we are placing a Wishing Well for donations at the Wrestling Meet (he loves sports). Friday the 27th is the Snowball dance, which will be themed 'Wishing upon a star." Saturday the 28th, StuCo will host a 50/50 raffle at the basketball games. The theme from the student section at the Basketball games (28th) will be "Blue Out for Blaizen" (again, he loves sports).