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the onslate

Northridge High School

From the Principal Dates to Remember

March 2006

March3 ACT Registration Deadline7 School Board—6:30 p.m.7-9 Dollars for Scholars Phon-a-thon8 Northridge Dismissal at 1:00 p.m.14 Winter Sports Awards Night—7:00 p.m.14-16 GQE Re-test16-18 Northridge Musical—Beauty and the Beast17 End of Term Three27 Blood Drive at Northridge28 School Board at NHS— 6:30 p.m.April1 SAT Test Date3 SAT Registration Deadline3-7 No School—Spring Break8 ACT Test Date14 No School for Students15 Band Sponsored Pancake Breakfast—8 a.m.-Noon18 Area Academic Super Bowl at Northridge20 ISSMA Choir Contest21/22 ISSMA Band Contest25 School Board—6:30 p.m. at Heritage Middle School27 Northridge Parent Teacher Conferences28 Northridge Noon Dismissal28 SAT Registration DeadlineMay2 School Board—6:30 p.m.4 Northridge Dismissal 1:00 p.m.5 ACT Registration Deadline6 SAT Test Date6 Northridge Prom11 Dollars for Scholars Breakfast--6:45 a.m.12, 13 Spring Choir Concert— 7:30 p.m.15 Academic Awards Banquet—6:00 p.m.17 Senior Student Banquet19 Northern Lights Variety Show—7:oo p.m.20 Spring Band Concert— 7:00 p.m.23 School Board—6:30 p.m.24 Senior Honors Program26 Underclass Awards Assembly28 Northridge Graduation29 No School—Memorial day30 Final Exams for Underclassmen

Northridge Parent/Teacher ConferencesThursday, April 27, 2006

Northridge Cafeteria, 6-8:45 p.m.

NORTHRIDGE OFFICE CLOSED DURING SPRING BREAK

The offices of Northridge High School will all be closed during the spring break week: April 3—7, 2006.

Students and parents should plan ahead for work permits, transcripts, or other needs.Offices re-open on Monday, April 10th.

As we approach spring and the final third of the school year, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the previous six months. Recently, I have been stopped and asked on numerous occasions about how things are going at school. Each time, I respond that things are going very well. There is no shortage of hard

working staff or successful students at Northridge. This fact makes it a joy for me to come to work each day. Our students have been outstanding in the arts, athletics, and academic arenas in many more instances than can be listed in this short article. Our staff have been excellent in preparing and supporting our students in all areas. I have found that Northridge students are serious about their studies and have a drive to excel. When in competition with other schools, they do not shy away because other schools are “big”. Additionally, the students are tremendously supportive of one another, showing up to cheer each other on at a variety of activities. At the beginning of the year, I challenged the student body to be “stewards of their school” and they are working toward that aim. The staff is incredibly supportive and willing to go to great lengths to respond to a student body that desires success. In the first semester I asked for volunteers to work on committees for the purpose of school improvement. As of today, there are 35 teachers who are working on committees each month in order to make Northridge a great school. This level of volunteerism, and willingness to go above and beyond will pay future dividends on our school improvement work. These things make me proud to be the principal of Northridge High School and allow me to quickly respond to any one who asks … things are going great at school!

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Northridge Summer Driver Education

Total Fee: $350Non-refundable $100 Deposit Due at Sign-Up

Sign-Up: March 20-24, 2006

Beginning Date: June 1, 2006Ending Date: Depends on Enrollment

See Article for More Information

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Northridge Summer Driver Education Northridge will be offering one session of Driver Education this summer for interested students who will be 15 years old before June 1st. The session will begin on June 1st. The ending date will depend on the number of students that enroll for the course. It is expected that the course will end no later than June 30, perhaps earlier. This course meets all of the required hours for the state of Indiana for driver education. Each student will be in the car 18 hours, driving for six hours and observing for 12 hours. Students will be assigned in groups of three for driving groups. Each driving group will drive for nine two-hour sessions. All students will be in class for 15 two-hour sessions to meet the required of 30 hours of classroom instruction. The total cost for the driver education program is $350 per student. This amount includes all fees including book rental, car rental, insurance, fuel, and teacher pay. This course is state approved but there is no state reimbursement. Each student must pay a $100 non-refundable deposit when the student enrolls for the course. (If the course is cancelled due to lack of interest—the money would be returned.) Students may pick up information packets from Mrs. Renaud in the assistant principal’s office. Completed enrollment forms and the $100 non-refundable deposit must be turned between March 20th and March 24th. Students should submit the enrollment form and money to Mrs. Renaud in the assistant principal’s office. The remaining balance of $250 must be paid by May 19, 2006. Interested students should get their information now and plan ahead.

Family and Consumer SciencesWhat better class then Adult Roles & Responsibilities to help meet the needs of homeless families? Thanks to the generosity of parents, students, and our community our Krispy Kreme fundraiser sale was a success. The money raised will go towards the purchase of items to help families and furnish apartments in the new “Family Life Center” at Hope Rescue Mission in South Bend. Students will budget the donation money and shop wisely for such things as cleaners, personal items, clocks, lights, paper products, rugs, and houseplants. Students will then wrap and present the gifts to residents in a well-planned “house-warming” party. The rewards & impact of this experience will be far reaching and positively affect these giving NHS students and the families who receive the gifts.

Math ContestsNorthridge High School Mathematics students will be attending in the following contests.· Gary Northwest University Calculator contest – March 4 · Indiana University South Bend area Mathematics Contest – March 11 · St. Mary’s Indiana State Mathematics Contest – April 22 Any Northridge Student is invited to participate. Please contact Mr. Powell at Powells@mcsin-k12.org for more information.

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Northridge Summer Driver Education

Total Fee: $350Non-refundable $100 Deposit Due at Sign-Up

Sign-Up: March 20-24, 2006

Beginning Date: June 1, 2006Ending Date: Depends on Enrollment

See Article for More Information

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Choir NewsCongratulations to our choir students for bringing home 207 gold medals this year from the ISSMA solo and ensemble contest. An outstanding job was done by all and over 50 of our students were advanced to the State ISSMA competition in Indianapolis. March will be an extremely busy month in the Choral Department. March 4th the Concert Choir and Northern Lights will be going to the Pike Invitational down in Indianapolis. Both choirs and four soloists will be competing with some of the state’s best high school choral students. The following Saturday, March 11th will be the Midwest Showcase in Huntington, Indiana. Our new women’s show choir, “The Starlights” will be joining the Northern Lights for this competition. The third week in March will feature the musical “Beauty and The Beast”. Thirty-six students will be putting on this exciting show March 16th, 17th and 18th. March 23rd the NHS Concert Choir will be going to a Choral Clinic at Goshen College. March will end with the annual Lenten service. All of the area churches will gather at one church for this service on March 26th in the evening. The service will be held at the First Mennonite Church in Middlebury at 6 p.m.

Northridge Takes on Beauty and the BeastThe theater and music students of Northridge have embarked on yet another challenging musical production this year with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. This version of the popular fairytale was recently brought to the Broadway stage by the Disney Corporation and has become one of the most popular productions of the era. Taken directly from the original story, this play takes the audience into a magical world of good and evil where ugly creatures, wolves, and mean people constantly attack those that are kind, compassionate, and caring. In the end, the two worlds converge to form that perfect world with the happily-ever-after ending. Fifty high school

students (and 1 middle school student) make up the cast and pit members of this challenging production. Lead characters include Brandon West, Heather Berkey, Tyler Yoder, Joel Riegsecker, Dan Mishler, Sara Drinkwine, Katie Juliano, and Fritz Hesser. Combine these fantasy characters with the eerie castles, insane asylums, and talking household objects, and the enchanted world of Beauty and the Beast comes alive.

Several adults have also volunteered their time to help construct set, work with costumes, provide refreshments, and support the cast and directors in any way possible. Production dates are Thursday through Saturday, March 16-18 in the high school Auditorium. Tickets for this production will go on sale from cast members on February 1st for $7.00 each. They will be available in the front offi ce of the school on February 27th. If you have a large group interested in attending, please contact Ellen Augustine at the high school.

ACTIVITES OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETYThe National Honor Society has conducted a “Pennies for Patients” fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This raises money for them to fi nd cures for blood cancers. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20. Activities conducted were a “Pie in the Teacher’s Face” contest, raffl e ticket sales, and competition between the Flex classes to win a free lunch by the Olive Garden. In the middle of the fundraiser, National Honor Society students have collected more than $500.00.

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Mrs. Grant Mr. Mounsitiraj Mrs. Priem

notes from the guidance

New Course Offerings at NorthridgeIn order to meet new diploma requirements for next year’s freshman class and to expand advanced course offerings, the following changes to the course list will occur at Northridge High School for the 2006-2007 school year.

Keyboarding no longer counts as a credit toward the CORE 40 diploma. Because of this the business department will be offering a new course called Digital Communication Tools. This course will have elements of keyboarding but extends into other methods of interfacing with computers and creating or managing documents. Among these are the uses of tablet functions for PC’s and the use of voice recognition technology.

We will be offering two sections of ACP Biology in conjunction with IUSB. It is our goal to provide more flexibility and choice in the advanced science curriculum and to that end we are offering this course. Students will be able to take the course over 18 weeks and if they perform well, they can earn college credits for the course.

We also will be collaborating with Glen Oaks College in Michigan to offer both ACP Calculus and Chemistry. Glen Oaks will provide us with an instructor in order to teach these courses. This will allow us to offer both AP and ACP Calculus simultaneously. Just as in the collaboration with IUSB, students who perform well can earn college credit for this course.

The Social Studies Department will also be offering an ACP course in United States History. This will be in conjunction with IUSB. This course will run concurrently with Honors Unites States History. The ACP curriculum will become the default curriculum for this honors course. Students who perform well may earn college credits at the completion of the course.

Scheduling 2006/07 Course SelectionsScheduling for the 2006-07 school year is well under way. During flex period each grade level of students has gone through a pre-scheduling session. The session included information on the core courses required at the carious grade levels

and then the electives that could be selected. Students were encouraged to take the time at home to talk with their parents about their selections, question teachers at school about the various courses in each department, and talk to fellow students about possible courses of interest. Several days later, in small groups, the students met with their counselors. The students viewed their transcripts and their appropriate diploma plans then put in requests for next years’ courses. Students were told the master schedule is to be developed based on their requests. So it is important to know the students need to be committed to those selections. The students will not have the flexibility of changing class selections as some have done in the past. Happy Scheduling!!!

Dollars for Scholars Phon-a-ThonThe Northridge Dollars for Scholars Phon-a-thon will be held the evenings of March 7, 8 & 9th. Students from the National Honor Society will be calling area homes and businesses to ask for donations to Dollars for Scholars. Last year Northridge Dollars for Scholars was able to distribute approximately 140-$750.00 scholarships with the help of the community. This year we again have a record number of scholarship applications and we need community support to award as many scholarships as possible.

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ATHLETICSAll-American Team. To be selected to the team, players must be seniors who have a minimum 3.75 cumulative grade point average and excellence in High School soccer. There were 34 honorees across the nation. Luke was the only player selected from the State of Indiana. Congratulations to Luke Woodworth for these special honors that he has received.

Luke Woodworth has been selected as the 2005-06 Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year. The Gatorade Player of the Year Award honors top high school student-athletes in 10 Varsity sports for their athletic performance, as well as for their achievement in the classroom and overall character. Thus, the award is considered by many as the top honor in high school sports. Luke was selected as all-conference in the Northern Lakes Conference for three years and was recently picked 2nd team All-State. Luke was also selected to the (2005) NSCAA/Adidas High School Boys’ Scholar

MEGAN JACKSON – A familiar name in the running circles of the Northridge High School cross – country and track programs. Megan has put her stamp on being one of the best distance runners that Northridge has pro-duced in their storied history. Megan has helped numerous young runners in our elementary and middle

Track Accomplishments:2003: All Conference All State 3200 M Relay – Conference, Sectional, & Regional Champions 8th place at State2004: All Conference All State 3200 M Relay – Conference, Sectional, & Regional Champions 7th place at State 1600 M Run – 9th place at State 800 M Run – 21st place at State2005: All Conference All State 3200 M Run – Conference Champion 3200 M Relay – Conference, Sectional, & Regional champions State Champions ( New State Record ( 9:08.3)) 3200 M Run – State Runner – upCross – Country Accomplishments:2002: All Conference – 2nd place Sectional Runner – up Regional – 3rd place Semi- State – 12th place State Finals – 13th place All State2003: All Conference – 2nd place Sectional Runner – up Regional – 3rd place Semi – state – 5th place State Finals – 8th place All State MVP2004: All Conference – 2nd place Sectional Runner – up Regional Runner – up Semi- state – 3rd place State Finals – 6th place2005: All Conference ( Champion) Sectional Champion Regional Champion Semi – state Champion State Finals – 11th place

school programs with their development and has had a very positive attitude throughout her running career. Megan , who will be graduating this spring, will be looking to help lead the Lady Raiders girls track team to some lofty goals.

Megan, who this past fall accepted a cross – country and track scholarship to the University of Arkansas, will be missed by the Middlebury community. We are so used to seeing Megan and her teammates running through the streets of Middlebury. Good luck this spring and we look forward seeing your results from the State of Arkansas.

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Career Center Offers Opportunities for Northridge Students

The Elkhart Area Career Center (EACC) offers students from area high schools opportunities in skill development in over twenty different programs. The EACC is located on California Road on the west side of Elkhart near Elkhart Memorial High School. The EACC services school from both Indiana and Michigan. Northridge has been sending students to the EACC for many years. This year approximately seventy Northridge juniors and seniors are spending one-half of their school day in training at the EACC. Middlebury Community Schools pays tuition to the Elkhart Schools

for each student to be able to participate at the EACC. The Northridge students may drive to the EACC or ride a bus provided by the Middlebury Community Schools. Many of the programs at the EACC provide training that will prepare the students for immediate employment in their skill area. However, some students use the training as preparation for further schooling at a trade school or university. Also many programs will allow the students to be certified for employment by trade agencies or be prepared to take state certification exams in their area of expertise. Students in some programs attend on-site training as part of the curriculum. In addition, some second year students can be “placed out” during school to a part time job a portion of the week, earning credit and being paid by the business that is helping with their schooling. Students attending the EACC are expected to perform in some respects as if they were on the job. Most of the programs require the students to purchase the tools for the trade, purchase and wear the uniform of the program, and function as part of a team. Prompt attendance is also required of the students. In addition to learning a trade, EACC students can qualify for membership in the honor society and participate in the skills competition both at the local and state levels. Students can even earn scholarship money for outstanding performance at the EACC. Programs of study at the EACC include Advertising Design, Auto Technology, Business Technology, Child Care, Collision Repair, Photography, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Computer Applications, Constructions Trades, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Dental Health, Health Occupations, Horticulture, Machine Tool, Small Engine Repair, Electronic Technology, Printing/Graphic Imaging, Telecommunications, and Welding. For students who need it, they also offer Applied Communications and Applied Mathematics.

Booster Club RaffleBooster club would like to thank the community for all their support. The raffle turned out to be a huge success!!Prize winners include:52” Big Screen T.V.-Sue Sandberg20” T.V. Built in D.V.D. Player-Peggy LichtenbergerPersonal D.V.D. Player-Cole MillerDigital Camera-Jim NagyI.P.O.D. Scuffle-Eric SommersSportsarama Jacket-Tim UtleyImage Mill Windshirt-Teri Duell(2) Embroidery Stadium Seats-Sharon Lemmon(4) seat cushions-Ron Keim$35.00 Gift cert. toward Booster club merchandise-Doug Elliott

Athlete of the Month awards went to:Junior

Joe Gibson (Wrestling)Sophomore

Brent Eaton (Boys Basketball)Congratulations !!!

ATHLETICS CONT.

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Art Department News Recently, Northridge art students were given the opportunity to submit entries to the 2006 Scholastic Art Awards. This competition encompasses the Northwest Indiana and Lower SW Michigan Region. The art exhibit was on display at the Century Center of South Bend January 28-February 18. Three seniors and one junior were accepted into the show and received some of the top awards. Kara Shetler received three Silver Awards in separate categories: Ceramics and Glass, Drawing, and Painting. Cameron Scharrer received a Silver Award and Honorable Mention in Photography. Lyndsay McBride received a Gold Award for Drawing. Megan Nihart, junior, was also awarded a Gold Award, hers came from an entry in Mixed Media. All work earning Gold Awards will receive national recognition on display at a highlights exhibition in New York, which will coincide with the na-tional celebration. The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, will host an exhibition of Gold Award and American Visions student work from June 30 through August 6, 2006. Reception date and time to be announced.

Artwork: Kara Shetler “Rustic Still Life” 2005

ATHLETICS CONT.

Northridge Academic Competition Teams

Northridge High School has a long and proud history of academic competitions within the Northern Lakes Conference as well as the state of Indiana. Academic Decathlon was introduced to the school in the early 1980s and was the first academic competition sponsored by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP). Northridge’s participation in the Decathlon has become only a memory today, but it paved the way for numerous other competitive academic events. Currently the academic competitions schedule at Northridge consists of Spell Bowl, Super Bowl, Math and Calculator competitions, Speech team, and Science Olympiad. Each of these events is coached by members of the Northridge staff who spend many hours before and after school to prepare the team members. And the hard work has paid off. The Spell Bowl team has won the Northern Lakes Conference title and has been a state finalist several times in the past few years. Super Bowl teams from the Fine Arts, Math, and Social Studies areas have consistently qualified for state meets. And the Science Olympiad team can boast state championships for the past two years.

Teams are already in training for this year’s packed competition schedule. Most of these events are open to the public at no cost, and the students would love to see parents, family members, and friends there to support them. For further information on any of the academic competitions, please contact the high school office.

Upcoming scheduleScience Olympiad Riley Invitational Jan 21Speech Meet – Plymouth Jan 21Speech Meet – Elkhart Central Jan 28Science Olympiad Hammond Invitational Feb 4Speech Meet – Huntington North Feb 11Science Olympiad Regionals Feb 18Speech Meet – Ft. Wayne Snider Feb 18Warsaw Super Bowl Invitational Feb 27Speech Meet – Sectionals Mar 4IUSB Math Competition Mar 11NLC Super Bowl Invitational Mar 14Speech Meet – Regionals Mar 18Science Olympiad State Mar 25Speech Meet – State Mar 25Area Super Bowl April 18St. Mary’s Math Competitions April 22Calculator Competition TBAScience Olympiad Nationals May 18-20

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Band NewsISSMA Solo & Ensemble contest took place Saturday January 28th at Elkhart Memorial H.S. The following students earned Gold ratings on their solos or ensembles. Tyler Yoder, David Papet, Nick Kovalenko, Malinda Troyer, Austin Sprunger, Katie Gordon, Zac TenBrook, Patrick Yoder, Amanda Prough, Chris Heims, Emily Mercer, Mary Jane Dickey, Kyle Deak, Ethan Humphrey, Leda Fortier, Devyn Shively, Emily Prough, Megan Carrison, Lauren Cammenga, Jacquie Ramirez, Hanna Mercer, Matt Miller, Olivia Downing, Jennifer Borntrager, Katie Leister, & Christa Jones.

Northridge Students Participate in Leadership Training WorkshopsWhile underclassmen were undergoing ISTEP and GQE testing, approximately 60 juniors and seniors volunteered to participate in a leadership training workshop led by Aaron Boe of Foresight Training Company. The workshop guided students through team building and personal leadership activities. Students were challenged to push themselves out of their comfort zones in order to achieve their goals. They were also asked to look past themselves toward opportunities to serve others such as peers who need someone to listen, a pat on the back, words of direction and encouragement, or just a smile. In addition to personal growth, the group was challenged to find ways to collectively influence the Northridge student body in a positive way. These students, along with Guidance Director Linda Grant and business teacher Mike Wickersham, are developing plans for a mentoring program for incoming freshmen and others new to Northridge High School.

School Spirit is Strong at Northridge Northridge High School is full of students with energy and excitement. These students are showing their enthusiasm in large numbers and in a great way at the boys’ basketball games. Many schools today are having a difficult time getting fans to attend the games and show support for their team. When the television stations show the many gymnasiums with very few fans in attendance, it is a sad show of support. Northridge, on the other hand, is proud of the strong fan support and especially the way the students are lifting up their team with loud and organized cheers. The students have many unwritten rules such as seniors get the front seats. As can be seen in the photos, the students are large in number and they dress to support their team. Some people say that the students have been a bit rowdy at times, but the students have responded well to the school administration in what and how they can yell. It is far better to have the students very active at a ball game than not knowing what they are doing or where they are located. Go Raiders!

Student section at home boys basketball

Junior Jared Graber goes

all out to support his

team

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State Tests and Assessments at Northridge High SchoolNorthridge students participate in a number of state sponsored tests, as well as other assessment tools, to assist in their educational and career efforts. These exams and assessments are given on scheduled dates based on state guidelines and the grade level of the students. The Northridge administrators and guidance staff would like to inform you of the nature of the tests and scheduled assessment dates. The ISTEP+ Graduation Qualifying Exam (GQE) will be again administered this spring (March 14th, 15th, and 16th) for any juniors and seniors who have moved into our state since the end of September last fall, or for those who still need to meet the passing requirements for the math tests, language arts tests, or both. These students that need to participate in this round of testing must be present all three days and take all parts of the test still needed. There are no makeup days. All students -- general education, special education, and Limited English Proficiency -- must meet the GQE standard in order to qualify for a high school diploma, unless they meet a waiver set of requirements. While the vast majority of Indiana students pass the GQE before graduating, there are two other ways students may show they possess the knowledge tested on the GQE. They are:1). Complete Core 40 with a grade of “C” or better in all required and elective Core 40 classes and have the recommendation of the principal.2). Appeal your GQE test results. To be eligible to appeal/ receive the waiver for your test results, you must have:· Taken the test at least once a year in the subject area(s) not passed; · Taken advantage of remediation opportunities provided by the school; · Maintained a “C” average in the 24 credits required of all Indiana high school graduates (8 in English, 4 in mathematics, 4 in science, 4 in social studies, 2 additional credits in courses already listed or technology competency, 1 in physical education, and 1 in health); · Maintained a 95 percent (minimum) high school attendance rate (excused absences, as defined by the school or corporation, do not count against the student)If these criteria are met, a written recommendation from the teacher in the subject area(s) not passed must also be obtained. The teacher’s recommendation must be supported by other classroom work or other test results that provide evidence that the student has met the standards tested on the GQE. The teacher’s recommendation must be supported by the principal. (See I.C. 20-10.1-16-13) The GQE tests the Indiana’s Academic Standards that were adopted in 2000. The new standards are grade and course level specific and are more rigorous than previous standards. Perhaps the biggest difference between the current GQE and the one given in the past is that it contains test items based on the content of Algebra I. Below are links to the Indiana Department of Education to access further information on the ISTEP+/GQE and also Indiana’s academic standards. For those planning for next fall, please make note that ISTEP+/ GQE testing for all incoming Freshmen, Sophomores, and any Juniors or Seniors still needing to pass the test will be on September 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2006www.doe.state.in.us/istep www.doe.state.in.us/standards Other standardized testing administered here at Northridge include a career inventory completed each fall for sophomores, Advanced Placement (AP) exams each May, the PSAT for sophomores and juniors each fall, and the Indiana Core 40 end of course exams each January and May. Currently we offer AP exams and courses in the following subjects: English Literature, Biology, Calculus, and Physics. We currently test Algebra 1 and English 11 each January and May for Core 40. We will also be participating in the Core 40 pilot testing for the following subjects: US History, Algebra 2, and Biology. As part of Indiana’s school accountability system under Public Law 221, the Core 40 End-of-Course Assessments (ECAs) are designed to ensure the quality, consistency, and rigor of Core 40 courses across the state. Aligned with Indiana ’s Academic Standards, End-of-Course Assessments are final exams measuring what students know and are able to do upon completion of targeted Core 40 courses. In addition, the End-of-Course Assessments are an integral component of Indiana’s P-16 Plan for Improving Student Achievement. As a part of this vision, these exams would serve an additional purpose of providing valuable information for college placement.

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US POSTAGE PAIDNON-PROFIT ORG.Permit No. 8Middlebury, IN 46540

Northridge High School57697-1 Northridge DriveMiddlebury, IN 46540(574) 825-2142