Northwood High School will be administering the required state AIR tests from April 16th – May 1st. On each test day we will run a 2-hour delay schedule. Students who have a test will report to school at the normal time of 7:50. Students who are not testing on a given day may report in time for 1st period (9:50 am), there will be a second bus route available for bus riders. Attendance is very important on testing days. Please do your best to make sure your child is at school every testing day. Students who miss a testing session will need to make up the tests (these will be administered during one of the non-testing days) and will miss class in order to do so. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Schedule by day of the week:
Week 1:
April 15th – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50).
April 16th – ELA II, Part I 10th Grade English, 7th Grade English, 8th Grade English. (Students in these classes report at 7:50, other students can arrive by 9:50).
April 17th – ELA II, Part II 10th Grade English, 7th Grade English, 8th Grade English. (Students in these classes report at 7:50, other students can arrive by 9:50).
April 18th – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50) Make up testing only.
April 19th – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50) Make up testing only
Week 2:
April 22nd – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50)
April 23rd – Math Part I Geometry, Algebra I, 7th Math, 8th Math. (Students in these classes report at 7:50, other students can arrive
by 9:50).
April 24th – Math Part II Geometry, Algebra I, 7th Math, 8th Math. (Students in these classes report at 7:50, other students can arrive by 9:50).
April 25th – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50) Make up testing only
April 26th – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50) Make up testing only
Week 3:
April 29th– No Test (All students report to school by 7:50).
April 30th– Science Tests Biology, 8th Science. (Students in these classes report at 7:50, other students can arrive by 9:50).
May 1st – Social Studies Test Government, US History. (Students in these classes report at 7:50, other students can arrive by 9:50)
May 2nd – No Test (All students report to school by 7:50) Make up testing only.
May 3rd– No Test (All students report to school by 7:50) Make up testing only.
NES Testing Schedule
Below is the testing schedule for our NES students. Please plan accordingly!
The high school concert band has been hard at work preparing for the OMEA Large Group Contest. The Northwood High School Band students performed American Volunteers by Ed Huckeby, Lanterns in the Sky by Rob Romeyn, and Darkheart by Randall Standridge for family, friends, and community members at their Mid-winter concert.
They then traveled to Sylvania Southview to perform in OMEA’s Large Group Contest. The band earned a Superior (I) rating from their three adjudicators for their prepared literature and also earned a Superior (I) rating for their performance in the sight reading room. The sight reading process is where students are given a completely new piece of music to learn in a matter of minutes. Students are only given four minutes of quiet study and four minutes of study with their director. They then perform the piece in its entirety for their adjudicator.
Mr. Shirey stated, “With our composite Superior (I) rating the band has qualified for OMEA State Large Group Contest for the 2nd year in a row. This has only been accomplished by a handful of bands in all of Northwest Ohio!”
The School Lunch Program Video Series
Recently, television cameras were welcomed into our kitchen for a special video series focusing on “The School Lunch Program.” This series is being created on behalf of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and The Broadcast Educational Media Commission. The goal of the series is to celebrate the school lunch program, nutritional guidelines, careers available, and to highlight student favorites in the cafeteria.
The Northwood episode will feature our very own Emilia Bires as she showcases our menu, food preparation, and our lunch lines.
The School Lunch Program series will air on WBGU-PBS and the Ohio Channel and live on WBGU-PBS’s website among other locations. A date and time is still to be determined, but we will be sure to share with our community as soon as the information is available.
The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow for “Annie” the Musical
It’s Musical Week! This is always an exciting time for our Rangers! This year’s musical is a classic, loved by many —— “Annie” the Musical! Junior, Brielle Closson, who plays Annie in this year’s production, shared that her favorite part of this musical is having the opportunity to get closer to her classmates and friends. Brielle described “Annie” as “a cute, lovable show!” Sophomore Myriad HIll agreed, describing the musical as “a heartwarming story.”
Senior Lainee Parton, who plays Miss Hannigan explained that “Miss Hannigan is the funniest character I’ve played so far, and I like sharing her attitude with the audience.” She urges our community to come see this show because “everyone involved has put countless hours of work in to make this production of ‘Annie’ shine!”
Senior Nick Jones, who plays Mr. Warbucks, shared that his favorite part of the show is making new friends and new memories. When asked why students should get involved with the musical, he stated, “Students should get involved with the musical because it’s really fun and a great chance to really get yourself out there. I personally have had a really fun time the past two years I’ve been a part of it.” Senior, Liberty Knisely who plays Grace Farrell in this year’s production, agrees, sharing, “You can learn to grow as a person through the entire process, and you are able to connect with people you never thought you’d connect with. Personally, I have always enjoyed being a part of the musical because it has helped me make new friends and become more confident. I have always been considered a quiet person, but since joining musicals, this is the most social I have ever been.”
Nick concluded, “Thank you to Mr. Again for giving me the opportunity to be such a big role in the cast, and for being such a great choir director!”
Seventh grade students in Mrs. Wheeler’s physical education classes have been learning the sport of Badminton!
During this unit, students have enjoyed working with classmates to play this fun game. Students were able to partner with one another in doubles tournaments and learn to work with classmates they may not always choose to partner with.
Mrs. Wheeler explained, “Badminton is a total body workout sport that allows for students to learn hand-eye coordination along with agility. Students are also learning how to work cooperatively with teammates to play the game. Good, friendly competition is always fun too!”
4th Graders Study Changes in Matter
Students in Mrs. Sheets’ 4th grade science class are currently studying changes in matter. This also includes thermal energy and electricity, changes to earth’s landforms/erosions, and scientific inquiry.
During this unit, students learn matter has physical and chemical properties. Students research and conduct several experiments to learn the difference between physical and chemical changes.
Mrs. Sheets shared that students have enjoyed mixing basic household items to create a reaction. They have learned that these reactions can be controlled based on the amount of ingredients. “Students have been surprised to create solids after mixing two liquids,” said Mrs. Sheets.
6th Grade Students Challenge Themselves in Math Class
Students in Mrs. Semler’s 6th grade math class are currently studying expressions and equations. Mrs. Semler shared, “While some students have spent most of the class time focusing on the 6th grade standards, we have been able to push many of the students to complete some of the 7th grade standards. We have played games, worked with partners and practiced questions ‘around the room’ to enhance our skills. We also have MANY students who can tell you all of the perfect squares from 1-25!”
“I have seen the most joy come from students who are working beyond 6th grade standards,” said Mrs. Semler. She continued, “They are asking to be challenged and are asking for more and more difficult problems. It makes my heart happy to see them so excited and to watch them push themselves and be successful.”
Mrs. Semler concluded that welcoming Mr. Samson (who is student-teaching with Miss James) has been a wonderful experience. “Having a third set of hands in our classroom lets us do so much more differentiating!”
Celebrating Leap Day in 2nd Grade
Mrs. Reiter’s 2nd grade students have been using “Leap Day ” as inspiration for several fun activities that have them practicing using rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and tape measures to measure objects in both inches and centimeters. “This helps the students estimate length and width as well as learning to use different units of measurement,” explained Mrs. Reiter.
During this unit, students have enjoyed measuring objects around the room. On Leap Day, students measured their standing long jumps and made Hopper Poppers out of cardboard and rubber bands and measured how they would jump. “We also made ‘leap frogs’ out of Oreos, frosting, pretzels, and Skittles,” added Mrs. Reiter.
Miss Moore’s 3rd grade math students are currently studying multiplication. Miss Moore explained, “Multiplication is a very important skill for students to learn and understand. I stress to our third-graders how they will use multiplication for years to come…even when they are all grown up! They may need it when doing tasks like buying groceries, or maybe for their job one day.”
During this unit, students have enjoyed singing and dancing along to skip-count songs! “Our songs allow us to have fun while we learn,” said Miss Moore. Students have learned how to skip count by 2’s through 12’s now. Everyone’s favorite song seems to be the 5’s!
Teaching Living Poets in English 10
Students in Mrs. T’s 10th grade English classes have currently been covering poetry. Mrs. Toflinski explained, “I haven’t taught a dedicated poetry unit in several years, but after last year’s AIR testing, I realized just how uncomfortable students were with reading and analyzing poems.” Mrs. Toflinski then explained that after having the opportunity to attend the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) conference this past fall, she was even more inspired to create a new poetry unit. “While there, I gained so many new ideas, but most inspiring was hearing poet Hanif Abdurraqib read during one of the sessions.”
Recently, Mrs. T used Abdurraqib’s poem “It is Maybe Time to Admit that Michael Jordan Definitely Pushed Off” to complete a lesson on pacing in poetry with students. Students began by reviewing the “push off” debate from the 1998 NBA Championship finals. They viewed the clip of the game and discussed whether or not they believed Jordan actually pushed off in the last five seconds of the game. Then, students discussed Abdurraqib’s poem with its lack of punctuation and standard stanzas, and regular use of ampersands. Students went to the pod to “walk the poem” and were able to feel how Abdurraqib creates a pace to his poem even without using standard stanzas and rhyming.
Students further analyzed the poem and grew to understand that Abdurraqib uses the “push off” as a way of creating a discussion of the loss of his own mother and the connection of a loss of a parent, as he also mentions Jordan’s loss of his father in the poem.
Finally, Mrs. T shared the fun fact that Michael Jordan is part owner of a NASCAR team. This led to the final assignment, in which students created their own race car track as a visual representation of the pacing of the Abdurraqib poem. Students analyzed where soft and sharp turns should be, where pit stops should be, and any other important aspects that should be displayed to truly represent the poem. They then wrote explanations for the five most important elements of their race track.
Mrs. Toflinski concluded, “While I know that there is a time and place for classic poems – which we have also covered in class – I think it’s important to teach living poets in my classroom. By giving students something completely different than what they are used to, I was able to connect with students I’ve struggled with all year, and show students that poetry can be interesting and relevant. I was amazed with the thought that was put into analyzing the poems and creating the race car tracks.”
Signing Day 2024
Congratulations to our seniors who will continue their athletic careers as they enter college in the fall!
NHS Prom Fundraiser:
Do You Smell Pizza?!? Do you know families with kids who enjoy a personal-sized pizza as the perfect after-school snack? Or a family member who needs their pizza fix at midnight? Or someone who buys from their local Little Caesars every week? The NHS Prom Committee is hosting an online Little Caesars Pizza Kit and Code Sale! We are working hard to create a memorable evening and to keep the price of a ticket as low as possible. The support of the community is very much appreciated. Follow the link to purchase online and have it shipped directly to your door in a few days. You could also choose to buy an online code to purchase in-store and take home to enjoy!
Northwood Local Schools are in their Top Workplace Era!
Every year, The Blade newspaper celebrates the Top Workplaces in the Toledo area. For the 5th year in a row, Northwood Local Schools has been chosen as a Top Workplace! A few weeks ago, several in our administrative team and school board attended a banquet in which they were recognized and received a Top Workplace award on behalf of our school district.
Lindsey Krontz, NES Principal, explained the importance of this award, saying, “This award helps the community to see just how special we really are.” She added, “Thank you to our Ranger students, families, teachers, and staff for all you do to make this place the BEST!” Emilia Bires, Director of Operations, expressed that seeing the staff and administration serve our families and community is a truly humbling experience. She added that it is a great honor to be a part of our wonderful district.
Board President, Misty Rodriguez, is not just the leader of our board, but is also an NLS alumnus and NLS parent. “I have always known that we have the best around, and winning the top workplace five years in a row is an outstanding accomplishment for our district,” she said. She added, “This award makes me so proud to serve the community as a Board of Education member. This is the exact reason I decided to stay in Northwood – so my kids could experience the best school district around. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for our district,” she said.
Board member Angie Closson, who is also an NLS graduate and NLS parent, expressed her sentiments, “I spent many years as an educator myself, so I understand the importance of a positive, team-driven work environment. Educating today’s youth can be challenging at times, but with the support of administrators and colleagues, it can also be inspiring and so very rewarding! Clearly our staff has created a climate that allows each individual to feel appreciated, valued, and respected! As always, I am proud to be a RANGER!”
EMIS/Enrollment Coordinator Naomi Smith, who is also an NLS parent, reminisced about being new to the area. She expressed the immediate welcome she felt by the staff and the sense that they genuinely cared for their students. When she became an employee several years later, she was able to see the staff in a different light and could see that they do genuinely care for their students. She added, “I recently came across a quote from a former Costco CEO, James Sinegal, that put this into perspective, ‘Customers will never love a company until employees love it first.’ The employees love working for Northwood Local Schools and it shows through their engagement with the students and the community.”
This same sentiment was displayed in the survey responses collected from NLS employees during the Top Workplace application process. When asked why they would recommend working at Northwood Local Schools, one employee expressed, “Northwood Local Schools is a district that values taking care of each other; not just within the building itself, but to the larger community as a whole.” Another employee said, “We have a great community , with a great school, where we have dedicated staff to empower our students to do the best that they can!” When asked why they love their job at Northwood Local Schools, one employee said, “It feels like a real community here, many schools preach it, but Northwood lives it. I feel genuinely connected with my colleagues, families, and students. My administration thinks what I do is important and they share my goals for growing my program.” Another employee shared, “I feel like I am making a difference in the lives of others. The school is the center of our community, and parents genuinely trust us to educate their children. I am constantly learning new aspects of my job and how to be more of an advocate for students’ and parents’ needs.” Finally, when asked about the direction in which Northwood Local Schools is going, one employee shared, “We focus for tomorrow and we do it as a TEAM!”
In conclusion, our Superintendent Jason Kozina expressed some final thoughts. “Being recognized as a Top Workplace for Northwest Ohio five consecutive years is a testament to our community support for our schools. Our students, staff, parents, and board value our schools and work to ensure that we create a wonderful place for our students to learn, and for our staff to work,” he said.
5th grade D.A.R.E. Program
Fifth grade students have been completing the D.A.R.E. program with Officer Hannum. These lessons are 10 weeks long. Students use the D.A.R.E. workbook to learn about the effects of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use. Students learn several strategies on how to make good decisions about their health, what to do when facing a situation that involves making choices, and consequences of making both poor and wise choices. Upon completion of the D.A.R.E. classes, students write an essay describing what they have learned and what stood out to them the most in class.
“Everyone loves having Officer Hannum as a teacher,” shared Mrs. McKanna. “Students get a chance to get to know him better. Students also enjoyed having a D.A.R.E. graduation where they received a certificate, a D.A.R.E. t-shirt, and a cupcake!
The essay winners in each of the homerooms were:
Brooklyn Owens
Julian Abou -Rjeily
Maria Allen
Myron Draime
Rex Kern
Karsyn Williams
Rquel Flores
Avery Dickey
Daphne Diebert
Some of the essay winners were brave enough to read their essays in front of the audience! “We appreciate all of the parents and guests that were able to attend the graduation and support the students,” concluded Mrs. McKanna.
5th Graders are Published Authors!
Fifth graders each wrote a personal narrative in class this quarter. The collection of writings were sent to Studentreasures, a publishing company specifically for student authors. “Every fifth grade student created a narrative and an illustration which were organized into classroom books,” explained Mrs. McKanna. Parents were invited to purchase books for their students and Mrs. McKanna has a copy of each book for the classroom library!
Mrs. Hemming’s Students Explore the Blues
The Unique Learning System Topic for this month in Mrs. Hemming’s 4th-6th grade social studies class is Culture and History. So, she is combining that topic with Black History Month as a way to showcase important musicians and how they have influenced music that we listen to today. “The students have enjoyed listening to the different types of music. So far, we have heard Jazz and Blues music,” said Mrs. Hemming. She also shared that students are working on answering “WH” questions about the musicians studied. Students are building a timeline, using Google Maps, to help practice Geography skills. Students are also completing art based on some of the musicians. Finally, “We are creating a classroom playlist for our door, so we can share our music,” said Mrs. Hemming.
Money Math in 6th Grade Intervention
Miss James’ 6th grade intervention students have been busy with completing novel studies and practicing money math! Miss James explained, “In reading, students are breaking off into small groups to read and listen to novels and practice their inferencing skills.” Students are reading four different books right now. While they are still getting into their current stories, they are starting to make connections to themselves and the characters.
Additionally, in math, students are currently working on practicing money math using restaurant menus. Students have enjoyed getting to choose what restaurants they want to “visit.” “Soon, they will be using money to actually make physical change for each other after paying for an order,” said Miss James. Finally, Miss James added that students have really enjoyed working with the student teacher, Mr. Sampson who is currently enrolled in the education program at The University of Toledo!
8th Graders Learn the Art of Debate
Students in 8th grade ELA are in the midst of the argument and debate unit. In this unit, students learn how to formulate effective arguments and engage in various styles of debate. Mr. Myers explained that this unit also includes a short argumentative essay. “This is especially important because students need to understand the ins and out of an argument before trying to compose speeches for debate.” Mr. Myers shared that students have enjoyed impromptu debates over goofy topics. Furthermore, they have enjoyed being able to share their own opinions without being restrained. Mr. Myers concluded, “The eighth grade students are just a fun group overall. They have a good sense of humor and know how to have fun in the classroom!”
Ella Partin – Spelling Bee Champion!
Students in grades 6-8 recently participated in a school-wide spelling bee. Students had to win their individual classroom spelling bees in order to qualify for the final round. Students studied over 400 challenging vocabulary words! Ella Partin earned the title of Spelling Bee Champion! Congratulations, Ella!
Prom Committee Fundraiser
Do You Smell Pizza?!?Do you know families with kids who enjoy a personal-sized pizza as the perfect after-school snack? Or a family member who needs their pizza fix at midnight? Or someone who buys from their local Little Caesars every week? The NHS Prom Committee is hosting an online Little Caesars Pizza Kit and Code Sale! We are working hard to create a memorable evening and to keep the price of a ticket as low as possible. The support of the community is very much appreciated. Follow the link to purchase online and have it shipped directly to your door in a few days. You could also choose to buy an online code to purchase in-store and take home to enjoy!
Ms. Marenberg (aka Ms. Jen), our AM and PM pre-school teacher, has been focusing on science and art with the preschool Rangers while celebrating the New Year! Students celebrated and discussed the meaning of the start of a brand new year in the classroom. Students explored science by creating their own fireworks in water. They also created their own “toast” to the new year. Each student got a paper toast, paper hat, a pom-pom, markers, and glue. Then, they were able to create their own toast to hang in the classroom!
Exploring Life Science in First Grade
Mrs. Linkey’s first grade science students have been exploring life science by observing the growth of an amaryllis. Students used the scientific method to explore the plant cycle and growth over time, recording observations digitally using a Seesaw digital book, understanding daily similarities and differences with the plant, math equations to determine growth, illustrating observations and using labels.
Mrs. Linkey explained that this lesson is a “fun and hands-on way for firsties to observe the plant changes over time while dabbling in the scientific method to express their questions, hypotheses, experiments, and conclusions. They also take part in the care of our living thing and learn about its needs.”
So far, students have been most excited about planting day when they added water to the compressed soil discs and watched it suck up the water and expand. “It was like a magic show!” said Mrs. Linkey. Students had lots of ideas of what was happening as the water disappeared and soon noticed that the soil looked like it was growing. Eventually, they determined that the soil was absorbing the water.
Mrs. Linkey concluded by sharing, “Real world activities are so important to understanding the world around us. The kiddos are so excited to share what they know and ask questions about what they see!”
Mrs. Metzger’s 8th grade Family and Consumer Science classes have been studying kitchen safety and sanitation – a life skill that we all need reminders on from time to time!
Mrs. Metzger explained that the 8th graders are getting ready for their cooking labs and have reviewed their knowledge of the Keeping Food Safe Steps that were learned last year in the 7th grade FCS class. She added, “We also have researched important guidelines for safety in our kitchens and created posters out of the research.” Students also completed activities within their lab groups to practice teamwork skills and to also become familiar with their kitchens. They especially enjoyed completing the Kitchen Scavenger Hunt in groups!
This unit is important so that students are able to prevent accidents and contamination of food when working in the kitchens. “The goal is to keep them safe and the lab kitchens in good shape. Students will practice using these skills during their cooking labs, but they can also be useful in the home and in the workplace,” explained Mrs. Metzger.
Designing Geometry City with Mr. Meyer
Students in Mr. Meyer’s class have been focusing on Properties of Quadrilaterals. Mr. Meyer explained that being able to apply the properties of quadrilaterals is important in the design and construction fields. He added, “Understanding the angle and side relationships help students find unknown values for lengths and angle measures.” This unit also builds on the logic established earlier in the school year by identifying quadrilaterals based on a set of given properties. “This application of logic helps the brain recognize logical connections to draw sound conclusions, which can be applied to nearly any problem solving scenario,” said Mr. Meyer.
Students utilized the properties of quadrilaterals to design and create a small-scale Geometry City. Classes were split into groups and each group created city sections based on a set of criteria given to them, including the quadrilaterals that they have been studying. Students had to be able to identify and justify each shape in their city.
Students have really enjoyed combining their algebra skills from last year with the geometry discussed this year to identify quadrilaterals. “Students enjoyed showing off their creative side in designing their city sections while problem solving when trying to incorporate all of the criteria given to them,” stated Mr. Meyer.
Mr. Meyer concluded by sharing, “I have enjoyed watching and listening to the students work together to find solutions when problems have come up during this project. In the early stages, students would ask me how to incorporate a certain item in their design, but by the end of the project, they were asking each other for help and offering solutions to each other. Anytime students collaborate and problem solve together, it gets me excited! Those are skills that they can carry into their careers and their life outside of school.”
Annual NLS Retirees and Friends Christmas Party
Mrs. Hammel was kind enough to share with us highlights of the NLS “Annual Retirees and Friends Christmas Party.” Each year, the current staff invite all retirees from Northwood Schools to a “Retiree and Friends Christmas Party.” This year, 37 retirees attended the event in the AAA Building on December 6th. The retirees met at 3pm and the current staff joined them as school let out for the day. Mrs. Hammel stated, “This event was full of joyous laughter and reminiscing as memories were shared with lifelong friends. Guelda Nelson was the oldest retiree present, at 93 years old! Nelson was a former Home Economics teacher at the junior high school. We were so pleased that she attended the event!”
Another highlight of the party was the performance of the 5th and 6th grade Choir under the direction of Mrs. Dunlap. As a finale, the entire group joined the choir in singing a medley of familiar Christmas Carols!
Mrs. Hammel concluded, “We look forward to this event each year and love wishing all of our friends a Merry Christmas!”
Clockwise from top left: Attendees enjoying the 5th and 6th grade choir performance / Guelda Nelson (93 years old), Eileen Mahaney, and Henrietta Bean / Dan Evarts, Dr. Jim Boyer, Guelda Nelson / Sue Davis, Karen Creps, Diane Hider, Kathy Besgrove / Jeff Boos & Reese Snyder/ Greg Clark, Ken James, and Reese Snyder
Kindergarten students in Mrs. Canaday’s class recently explored pumpkins and worked in their pumpkin investigation books! In order to do this, Mrs. Canaday combined many subjects. Students read both fiction and nonfiction stories about pumpkins. Students measured their pumpkins to see how tall and wide they were as well as how many lines they had. They even practiced their five senses and hypothesized whether the pumpkins would sink or float. Mrs. Canaday explained that using the pumpkins showed students how math and science are used in everyday life.
Mrs. Canaday expressed that students enjoyed having hands-on experiences with the pumpkins. “They enjoyed tasting the pumpkin seeds, since most of them had never tried them. They also enjoyed painting their pumpkins at the end of the investigation. Then, they got to take the pumpkins home with them,” said Mrs. Canaday.
A big thank you to Northwood Community Cares for donating the pumpkins for the kindergarten pumpkin unit!
Studying Bats in First Grade
Miss Dubendorfer’s first grade students recently learned about bats! Miss Dubendorfer was able to tie in lots of reading, writing, and science lessons into this unit. The students made their own bats and wrote describing words about them after watching a mystery science video on them. Then, they looked through microscopes to look at different bugs bats can eat!
Students also learned about digraphs such as ch, sh, wh, and th. Miss Dubendorfer explained, “We are practicing the sound these letters make together and trying to build words out of them. The students then built complete sentences with these words as well. We used these strategies when sounding out words for our bat projects as well” said Mrs. Dubendorfer.
When asked what students enjoyed most about this unit, Miss Dubendorfer replied, “The students loved looking through the microscopes at different bugs!”
Studying Linear Relationships in 8th Grade Math
Mrs. Larson’s eighth grade math students are currently studying Linear Relationships with Tables, Graphs, and Equations. “This unit is important because it focuses largely on calculating the slope of different types of lines and introduces students to intercepts. Students have to understand the difference between positive, negative, zero, and undefined slope, along with finding the y-intercept in order to write linear equations correctly,” said Mrs. Larson. She also explained that students will build from these concepts as they enter Algebra 1 next year.
During this unit, students practice various concepts, such as slope of a line, slope between two points, y-intercept, x-coordinate, y-coordinate, ordered pairs, solutions to equations, and so on. In order to practice these vocabulary words and math skills, students spent a lot of time using paper, pencil, and a ruler to graph lines. Students also played lots of interactive games such as Blooket, Quizlet, Kahoot, and Quizziz. “We work at vertical whiteboards in small groups to get kids up and moving. Some days notes are needed, but I usually try to throw in a game or group work to mix things up,” explained Mrs. Larson. Review days in 8th grade math are extra fun with games like trashketball or the emoji game.
“I know they don’t realize how much they are learning and growing in their mathematical journey, but it is fun for me to observe. Most students start out this unit not understanding anything about slope, intercepts, and the connection between an equation and it’s graph. It’s really gratifying for me because by the end of the unit it becomes second nature for them,” concluded Mrs. Larson.
Seeking a School Psychologist
We are continuing our search for a School Psychologist to join our team. Interested applicants can apply through the Wood County Educational Service Center at https://wcesc.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
JH Student Council Working to Stock Northwood Pantry!
The Junior High Student Council is looking to help stock the Northwood Pantry with needed hygiene products and laundry detergent.
Students in Mr. Donegan’s freshman Modern World History classes just finished an in-depth study of the Industrial Revolution. Mr. Donegan explained, “This is important because it has radically changed how and where we live and the type of work we do as humans. It is arguably the most significant revolution in human history. It also leads to our Imperialism unit and eventually WWI. The increases in technology and the ability to mass produce products will lead to devastating effects during the first World War.”
One activity that students enjoyed during this unit was playing “The Urban Game.” To play this game, students started out drawing small villages, but over time, as people flooded to cities to find work, the students quickly realized how crowded and unorganized their once simple towns had become. Mr. Donegan explained, “They get to experience the overcrowding and other social issues that occurred with rapid urbanization.”
In order to review their learning, students played a game called “Splotch” where they answered questions about the Industrial Revolution as they moved throughout the board. The board had different prompts that allowed students to progress more quickly (or slowly depending on what they chose) such as doing the Chicken Dance to move up three spaces, mowing like a cow, or barking like a dog. Mr. Donegan added that students earn bonus points to students’ tests based on what place they finish in the game. “So, it usually gets pretty intense,” Mr. Donegan concluded.
Multiplication in 5th Grade Math
Fifth graders playing a Connect 4 review game. They were split up into teams and were faced with the challenge of getting four in a row with correct answers on sticky notes. The only class to get four in a row was a team from Mrs. McKanna’s homeroom!
Miss Reinhard’s 5th grade math students are currently studying multiplication. “Multiplication is crucial for students to learn because it surrounds them in their day to day life. In 5th grade, they are learning how to multiply 3 digit by 2 digit numbers. It is still important for them to practice their basic multiplication facts to strengthen their skills when adding more digits,” explained Miss Reinhard.
During this unit, students have enjoyed brushing up on basic multiplication facts on 99math. This is a website that allows students to answer as many multiplication facts as they can in a given time while racing their classmates to get the most points!
Event Photography
Mrs. James’ new Digital Photography class has been busy learning the basics of photography this quarter. Students have been tasked with photographing the various NHS events. Here are a few highlights from September!
STEM Donation
Thank you to Mrs. Fish for all of her grant writing work and to Parker Hannifin for their generous donation to our NLS STEM Program!
Senior Baby Pics Needed!
We will once again be creating a Senior Slideshow for Graduation that showcases every Graduate. This is the slideshow that will also show a baby picture next to each Senior portrait. We could use everyone’s help collecting these baby photos and Senior portraits.
Please send a digital copy of a baby picture to ablausey@northwoodschools.org or jwronkovich-clark@northwoodschools.org along with the full name of the Graduate you would like to see on the slideshow. We (the advisors) should have access to all of the Senior portraits taken earlier this year, and we will reach out individually if we don’t have one on file.
We know everyone gets very busy at the end of the school year, so if everyone could take care of this at your earliest convenience we would appreciate the help!
Senior Lainee Partin was recently accepted into the Teen Ambassador Board. This means that Lainee has received the opportunity to have an internship-like experience with the State Attorney General.
Laniee had to apply for the Board, write an essay, and then out of the hundreds of Ohio Applicants, get approved. Lainee stated, “The Teen Ambassador Board will allow me to meet and work with students from all over Ohio. We will meet in Columbus to provide suggestions to the Ohio Attorney General’s office on important issues facing our state. I will have the opportunity to learn about the Attorney General’s office, interact with government officials and work in groups on key initiatives.” She added, “I learned about the Ambassador Board through a local newspaper. My application required me to write an essay and receive a letter of recommendation. I am honored to be a member of this board and I would like to thank Mr. Dickey for helping to make this possible.”
Congratulations Lainee! Ranger Nation is proud of you!
5th Graders Attend Annual Trip to Camp Michindoh
Mrs. Boos took time to share with us the incredible experience that our 5th grade Rangers currently had at Camp Michindoh. Mrs. Boos shared that 5th graders enjoyed a variety of classes including: archery, canoeing, fishing, reptiles and amphibians, and a Pioneer Craft Fair! She explained, “While at camp, 5th grade students also gained self-confidence, learned to be responsible, and learned how to work together!” Other fun activities included playing Gold Rush, singing songs around a campfire, performing skits, and square dancing during evening activities.
Mrs. Boos concluded with an acknowledgement of our high school Rangers. “Thank you to the amazing high school students who were our cabin leaders. They worked hard to ensure that the 5th grade students made many lasting memories at camp,” said Mrs. Boos.
NES Basketball Event Manager Opening:
Northwood Local Schools is accepting applications for an elementary basketball event manager. This position will be responsible for scheduling all elementary gym times in coordination with the school, opening gyms, setting up/tear down for games, and will report directly to the Athletic Director. This is a new position aimed at allowing better access for our elementary basketball teams. The position is a paid salary of approximately $950 after the season. Must have a clean background check. Apply online with a letter of interest at https://www.northwoodschools.org/employment/ by Friday, October 13th.
Ranger Roundup 