Weekly Newsletter

Newberg High School Newsletter          
           January 30, 2015

This week in Newberg Nation!
It’s the arrival of 2nd semester here at Newberg Nation and the halls and classrooms are alive with students and staff getting right into gear in their new classes.

We are often reminded with the arrival of the new term that there are many things we should continue paying close attention to.

So let’s begin with the seniors and their closing act of high school this semester. We all need to pay attention to how they are progressing and communicate, communicate, communicate! From ensuring that their essential skills and senior project/career related learning check offs are completed, to helping them keep their grades up all term and triple checking their transcripts to make sure that they have the final few classes they need to graduate we need to continue supporting them and keeping them focused as so many of them become smitten with “senioritis” right about this time of year.

And our juniors? This is a big term for our juniors as many colleges and universities look critically at the junior year transcript when making admissions decisions. This is also a great time to get ahead of the game for the class of 2016 and start getting senior project plans underway, planning college visitations and thinking critically about life beyond high school, while using those plans to help inform course selections and efforts during their senior year here at NHS. A great example would be encouraging our juniors to strongly consider taking another year of math as there is much research that supports taking a fourth year of high school math, especially for students interested in advanced college degrees.

Junior year is also a big year for essential skills (literacy) testing and with this being the first year for the Smarter Balanced Assessments it will be imperative for us to support and encourage our juniors to do well on the exams, as passing their essential skills exams is a state of Oregon requirement for graduation.

When considering our sophomores we must all help keep them focused on their academic growth as this is a very interesting juncture, one in which they move from underclassman to upperclassman this fall. Thus, we need to continue encouraging them to push themselves academically, to keep developing positive study habits, to become self-advocates for themselves by having them frequent their teachers and counselors with questions, and to encourage them maintain a “can do” approach to their schooling. While many will become focused on getting their driver’s license or pursuing their first job, both of which are very important, we must help them maintain a long term vision for themselves and the impact having a great education will have on the rest of their life.

Our beloved freshmen also need our guidance and support as they attempt to finish their first year of high school in strong academic fashion. We all know that the freshman transition to high school is a challenging one and for many freshmen the arrival of second semester is also about the time they begin settling in to high school routines, attitudes and approaches to their academic matters. This is a key moment for us to really encourage our freshman to keep honing and defining their academic skills. Whether helping them learn new organizational, study, communication or academic skills, it is critical that we use this term as one in which we truly drive home the fundamentals of being a high school student thus instilling good habits in them.

Making time for homework, balancing freedom and responsibility, managing our social life, talking with parents, teachers, counselors and administrators about school and keeping our priorities in order are all important skills in having a successful high school experience and keeping all doors open as to our future. Checking in daily with parents and teachers is yet another success strategy, as is monitoring their own grades closely/frequently and taking strong ownership of their education. Instilling that sense of ownership in our students is a key fundamental to their academic prowess.

Please know that we are honored to have the opportunity to partner with you in supporting your child’s education. We encourage you to contact our staff regularly, without delay as needed, so that we may all keep our arms wrapped around our children as they travel through their years at NHS!

NHS College & Career Center:

• Admissions counselors from Western Oregon University will be at NHS on Thursday, February 5th to review applications and give you a decision on the spot!  You must sign up in the College and Career Center to attend.
• The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber scholarship applications are due this week: January 31, 2015.  Also, the Al Forthan Memorial scholarship deadline is coming up February 2nd.  Additionally, Portland Community College is offering a special scholarship for students who have taken welding classes at NHS and wish to enter the P.C.C. welding program.  Stop by the College and Career Center to learn about available scholarships or look at the list on our webpage.

Internships are available at Newberg High School!
This is a great way to get started with a company that might lead into a paid position. Internships earn high school credit and also look great on college and scholarship applications. We have multiple positions available ranging from office work, retail, and museum tours to a senior activity coordinator. Please pick up an application from Ms. Peterson in the Silver School office.

There is a program with Providence Health System called Career Highlights. These are three hour mini courses focused on a specific health care career field. This qualifies as a Job Shadow needed for graduation. These events are on Saturdays and students need to provide their own transportation. Registration for March Career Highlights begins on Feb. 2nd and will be open until spaces are filled. The March Career Highlights include:
 

• Respiratory Therapy on Tuesday, March 3 at Providence Portland Medical Center from 9 a.m.- noon.
  Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant on Friday, March 6 at Providence Willamette Falls Community Center from 9 a.m.- noon.
• Rehabilitation Services (physical therapy, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and audiology) on Wednesday, March 11 at Providence Newberg Medical Center from 9 a.m.- noon.
• Respiratory Therapy on Monday, March 16 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center from 9 a.m.- noon.

Note: There is still space in our Rehabilitation Services Career Highlight on Friday, Feb. 27 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center from 1-4 p.m. Please encourage students and career seekers to attend this fabulous Career Highlight that will explore careers in physical therapy, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and audiology!

 Please visit our website to register at: www.providenceoregon.org/schooloutreach/ch

Attention Class of 2015.  If you’ve already placed your graduation order for your senior, thank you.  Delivery will be made later this spring and you will be notified of the specific date prior to Jostens visit.  If you have not yet placed your order it is not too late.  Here are your options:
 

• Click on the link and you will be directed to the Jostens website where you can place your order and get additional support and service.
                  Link: www.jostens.com/contact
• Call our Service Center toll-free at 1-800-JOSTENS (567-8367).  Both English and Spanish speaking Graduation Specialists are waiting to help you.

• Request paper order forms that you can complete and send directly to our Service Center.  Email your request to dan.peters.office@jostens.com.

Attention Seniors:  Senior photos for the yearbook are due February 1st, 2015 and no later!
Send to newbergyearbook@gmail.com or take it to Mrs. Schaeffer in room A103.

Please check the list posted outside the yearbook room A103 to see if the yearbook class has received your senior photo.

Angel’s In The Classroom…

Want see a great story about a true Flying Tiger who performs like an “Angel?” Look no further…
http://www.teachoregonpac.org/team-three-help-students-gain-mathematical-content-knowledge-skills/
Kudos to Angel, Mrs. Thonstad and Ms. Viado on a job well done!

Incoming freshmen night…

Newberg High is excited to announce that we are gearing up to welcome the class of 2019 with our Incoming Freshman Night to be held on March 9 from 6-8pm here at NHS! Complete with a curriculum fair, presentations on important information and right before we forecast for classes for next school year, all incoming freshman and their families are strongly encouraged to attend this fun and informative event! 

Tiger Music

Newberg Nation fans mark your calendars as Director of NHS Orchestra’s Mr. Karl Blauer has scheduled February 17th for our latest performance by our very talented Flying Stringers! Show time for this exciting orchestra concert is 7pm in the NHS auditorium.

Tiger Drama

Hear Ye, Hear ye, come one, come all! It’s time for the winter production for Mrs. Ferguson’s thespian troupe as they present yet another entertaining Mark Twain comedy for our viewing pleasure! Opening night is scheduled for next Thursday, Feb. 5, with shows following on Feb. 6, 7, 12, 13 & 14. Show time are 7pm in the NHS auditorium, don’t miss this one!

National School Counselor Week

Next week Newberg Nation celebrates some of our other Flying Tigers, our school counselors, a fearsome foursome that works hard to support and care for all of our students! Please join us in honoring them next week by acknowledging their efforts in whatever creative way you can come up with! For some suggestions/ideas of how to honor our counselor’s great work please click on the following link;

http://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/about-asca-(1)/national-school-counseling-week

On behalf of all of Newberg Nation I would like to thank Ms. Eggiman, Ms. Conrad, Mr. Monson and Mr. Baker for all they do for our students and community!

Tiger Athletics

Time to register for Spring Sports!!
Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, Lacrosse, Tennis, Golf & Rugby.
Register online (see link below) or in the athletic office. Deadline is Friday, February 27th. Practices and try-outs begin Monday, March 2nd.
Please call Ronni Cook with questions: 503-554-4407 
https://newbergsports.rankonesport.com/AthleticPortal/OnlineForms/Default.aspx?C=5acf681f-66a7-4a04-a0fc-eb3ef982dbfd

Newberg NationThoughts…

~Principal Risen

            Like our very own Flying Tiger Angel Nuñez says below, the responsibility of education can be overwhelming! His commitment to the education of others parallels the passion we should all have for our own education. His role modeling of the power of education is profound and his message, to all of us, rings true in that it is a great responsibility we all must bear, arguably one of the greatest of our lives.

Flying Tigers…

“Having this opportunity has been weird: being responsible for the education of my peers is strangely overwhelming. It feels like I could always be doing something better in facilitating their education, so it’s a heavy weight knowing that if I mess up they are missing out on learning something.”

~Angel Nuñez