Curriculum & Instruction: NHS

FOR EIGHTH GRADERS ONLY!!

Some fun classes and activities await you at NEHS

By NEHS Staff

May 16, 2008

Attention 8th Graders: We look forward to having you be a part of our school and want to welcome you to the 2008-09 school year!

Here are some of the classes and things you should look forward to at Northeast High School!
The resource room is open many blocks of the day. Many students come for extra help and guidance on projects and assignments. During reading time everyday, we have books on tape and computer to assist those who may have difficulties in this area. We are also in charge of the recycling project.

There are a variety of classes with fun activities to take in the business department. A few examples are: Personal finance: Toon Doo cartoons; Keyboarding: field trip to KOAM, PhotoStory project; Intro to Business: started corporation that sold balloon bouquets, decorated cookies and T-shirts then split profits based on shares of stock they bought; Yearbook: Produces the yearbook for the school, takes pictures, sells ads;Business Law: Mock trial

Office Applications - At the beginning of the year, we studied different personalities and how to get along with people whether it is in the workplace or in the classroom. We did the football programs and the basketball programs. We have made brochures in publisher for some of the businesses in town as a class project. We have worked on the ten-key.

Keyboarding - I don't know what to say here. We have done memos, block letters, unbound reports, bound reports, and modified block letters. The highlight would be Brandi Williams won 1st place in Keyboarding I and a $300 scholarship to MSSU in the Division III category. Northeast also won the trophy in Keyboarding I for Division III. Clint Johnson was the other contestant for keyboarding. Schools could only enter two contestants in Keyboarding I and II.

Computer Concepts won the trophy for Division III. Students involved were: Whitney Brooks, Kari Cavin, Daniel Davied, Josh Silvers, Sylvain Veenman, and Chris Ward.

Some of the activities of the Kansas Association for Youth were: floor crew, raised money for Salvation Army, sexy legs contest, decorated school for Christmas, American Education week.

Students in Mr. Jones’ construction class designed and built a house—only on a smaller scale. The playhouse is for sale and the real estate ad is as follows:

For sale: One children's sized playhouse/fort, designed to be put on stilts and accessed through a trap door in the floor. This playhouse has its own front porch with railing. The playhouse floor and railing is made of treated lumber and it also has rough cedar trim. You can even paint this house to match your own! The playhouse was built by the NEHS Construction 1 class of 2008. Let us know if you are interested!

Many students who enroll in art think that it is just going to be about “making art”. There is a lot of “art making” but first they are taken through the basic techniques and processes that helps prepare them to not only make their art better, but helps them understand how and why art is so important in their life.

Academically, we cross boundaries of other subjects to help them understand that nearly everything in their life is touched by an artist in some way. Mathematics, especially geometry, is used almost daily in the design process. We explore the scientific part of our curriculum when the history and uses of various paints are discussed. We are very particular about the HAZMAT Safety regulations put forth by the EPA and it is something that students need to be aware of not only in the art room but also in their world outside of school. English, Literature, and Speech are critical skills when it comes to learning about art and often students are required to read, paraphrase, and write or discuss art in round table discussions. Art and history parallel one another in that without some form of art, history would have gone unrecorded. Even kinesthetically, the art of drawing the human form in movement relates to our PE programs.

On top of it all, the student is encouraged to think out side of the box to increase creativity. Self control of one’s emotions and understanding that different emotions will promote creativity need to be demonstrated and explained in an effort to help the student put everyday distress into perspective. Self discipline and perseverance are needed to succeed in life and the art room is a great place to create that balance. Finally, one of the most important facets I have witnessed through the arts is self-confidence. The ability to believe that you can overcome your weaknesses is one of the most valuable lessons one can learn in their life. Open the door to the art room, the academics, and the knowledge we have to offer you and believe that this high school can be a transitional experience that will change your life forever.

The 2007-2008 Forensics team was busy adding new materials and new members. After graduating three of last year's team of five, we still managed to recruit ten new students. Several assignments over the year focused on finding and cutting new materials to be used at contest. We had a great contest season, with five students qualifying for State Champs. Next year, we hope to add more members, as well as a one-act play.

This year in Mr. Smith’s English classes there was a plethora of matter covered in just a few months. The topics ranged from reading amazing stories that took the students out of this world like the science fiction novel Giver to writing research papers with precisely formatted Work Cited pages. My classes dove into novels like To Kill a Mockingbird and Crucible and analyzing the messages held within. The students examined how William Shakespeare messages are still important today and how the lessons they read about in Night must never be ignored. They studied ancient lands and discover the Greek’s answers to nature’s mysteries. The advanced classes studied material that will prepare them to be productive in college such as writing papers, time management and how to prepare for test. We conducted discussions that conveyed how other cultures beliefs and ideas are not that different from our own. Near the end of this year, they were given a paper in which they were asked to use all the information they culminated during the year and investigate possible careers for their future. It was not only about doing a paper but thinking about their futures and what they will need to accomplish in order to achieve their ultimate goals in life. Often students commented that if a student can pass though our English curriculum then they will be successful in any English 101 course. These classes are examples of the many reasons our students are excited about attending Northeast High School.

The Northeast High School Library Media Center is a full service facility devoted to assisting the teachers and the students. The LMC serves as a hub of research, study, preparation, and production. Students are invited to use the facilities on a daily basis to further their studies, to broaden and enrich their minds, and to enjoy the materials that are available. Everyone has access to the following Internet databases: First Search, CQ Researcher, Grolier, HW Wilson Biographies, InfoTrac Online, Kansas Library Catalog, SIRS, SIRS Discoverer, Taylor’s, World Book, and the Spectrum Catalog. Some of the events the students and teachers participate in throughout the year are Books are Fun, Teen Read Week, Great American Read Aloud, and National Library Week.

Industrial Arts and Technology:

-Problem Solving Competition - Design and construct a Rube Goldberg experiment to distinguish a candle.
-Learned the basics of Manual Drafting and Design
-Built student projects using different manufacturing processes and materials.

Woodworking:
-Learned the safety and uses of different woodworking machines
-Designed and constructed foot stools, end tables, coffee tables, and other student designed projects
-Learned how to work and operate a Laser Engraving machine

AutoCAD/Drafting:
-Learned the AutoCAD software which is a universal software used in the Design and Engineering Industry
-Learned the 3D drawing process
-Learned how to work and operate a Laser Engraving Machine
-Design the skeleton of a house and cut it out using the laser engraver to build a replica framed house.

Spanish class and Spanish club:

In addition to learning the basics of the language the classes enjoyed learning and experiencing the culture. In the fall, we learn and celebrate "Day of the Dead" which is much like our Memorial Day in May. The families clean and decorate the graves as well as set up a "Memorial Altar" in the homes. The classes not only enjoyed seeing a memorial altar but after learning about the traditional foods and art that the Mexicans enjoy, they also enjoyed frosting "Calaveras" or "sugar cookie skulls". At Christmas time, the students learned several traditional Christmas Carols and received a Christmas ornament with their Spanish name on it. The Spanish club enjoyed several "Out-to-eat" nights to enjoy Mexican cuisine, atmosphere and communicating in another language. The students also attended "World Fest" at Silver Dollar City in April. This gave them the opportunity to experience many foreign cultures by seeing performances of music and dances of the countries in attendance. In May, the students learned about "Cinco de Mayo" and enjoyed preparing and eating fried ice cream as well as sapodillas (fried bread puffs) dipped in sugar, cinnamon and honey.

If you enjoy history, you will LOVE these classes. We have a wealth of social science to choose from in addition to the required classes of American History and American Government. Students need three total social science classes to fulfill the requirements for graduation. Some of the activities done include cooking, field trips, veterans’ interviews, and inter-generational history projects. We have modern history, social studies, world geography and world history to offer!! LEARN WITH US!

In Mrs. Blair’s science classes this year we did a variety of projects and activities. The anatomy & physiology class toured the Bodies Revealed exhibit at Union Station in Kansas City and invited a respiratory therapist in to talk about the effects of smoking. The biology classes created a biome in a box and/or completed a biome research report. They also created a candy cell model, designed mitosis models using everyday household items, and completed detailed research on a genetic disorder and presented the information to the class. The general science classes created a classroom periodic table; they created television commercials, radio commercials, or PhotoStory presentations to explain selected topics over energy resources. In addition to these activities, students in all of the classes completed many different lab activities and other group projects throughout the year.

PE and lifetime fitness classes have played a variety of games including badminton, bocce ball, pickle ball, and flag football. They have also done a good job of conditioning and lifting weights when we weren't playing games. Weights and conditioning classes have done a great job of working hard in the weight room and getting stronger. Every one of them has increased their lifting maxes considerably.

This year, the math classes have worked extremely hard focusing on the state standards. Our work has finally begun to pay off. The number of students passing the State Assessment has nearly doubled since last year. We have been trying to help the students see that math is more than just numbers. It's about shapes and patterns. We have analyzed such real-life problems as determining the height of a flagpole, how to reduce friction in a mousetrap car, and how to prove that a square is really a square. It has been a long process, but their hard work has served them well.

Life Management I-We did several leadership projects. FCCLA is integrated into our curriculum, so we use FCCLA materials to teach about leadership in this class. We worked with the Brain Busters program to make presentations to prevent illegal drug use to the elementary students. This was during Red Ribbon Week. We also coordinated Trunk or Treat at Halloween in downtown Arma. It was a FCCLA Stop the Violence project. We received an FCCLA State award for this in the spring. At Christmas, we worked with the KAYS group to participate in the Feed the 4 States food drive. We also had students help with Body Walk in the spring. We also did units on sewing, nutrition, and food safety. The class also learned how to make presentations about their projects.

Life Management II-we focused on creating a career portfolio. The students researched a career they are interested in, developed a job search portfolio, did a mock interview, wrote a resume, and practiced filling out job applications. They used the computer simulation "On Your Own" to do much of this work. They then learned how to budget their money, choose a bank, buy a car, and get their first apartment. We ended the year by doing a simple sewing project and learning to cook nutritious, economical food.

Culinary I-This is the beginning level of the ProStart restaurant management program held in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The students prepared for competition in March by developing a 3 course menu, costing the menu, typing the recipes, and preparing a presentation menu. They then helped pack and transport all the food and equipment for this menu to Wichita. They prepared two identical meals for chefs provided by the Kansas Restaurant Association to judge. The students also earned ServSafe employee level certificates for passing an exam written by the National Restaurant Association. They also took the Level I exam as partial completion of the requirements for a ProStart National Certificate of Completion.

Culinary II-This class focused on food careers, making a job search portfolio, meat and vegetable preparation, and marketing. They also participated in the ProStart competition in Wichita. They took the Level II exam. This class helped plan and prepare a dinner theater and faculty in-service breakfast.

Culinary III-This class focused on the skills needed to be a pastry chef. They also worked on marketing and menu preparation. This class helped plan and prepare a diner theater and faculty in-service breakfast.

Culinary IV-This class participated in the ProStart competition and learned about business math in the food service industry. They also took the Level II exam.

Nutrition and Wellness-This class learned about food safety and sanitation, the Food Pyramid, and how to prepare and serve nutritious food. They also helped prepare and serve the dinner theater.

Parenting-This class participated in the Baby Think It Over program as part of learning about the rewards and responsibilities of parenting. They also learned about child development and guidance of children. They ended the semester with observing preschool children at the Northeast Inclusive preschool.