Band:

The NHS Concert Band joined with the NMS bands for their winter band concert on Monday, December 16.  Soon, the band will start playing at basketball games as well as starting to prepare for the Spring Concert in March.

You can follow the band on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/northwesternhighschoolband/

Battle of the Books:

Students are now able to login to our WEMTA (Wisconsin Educational Media Technology Association) Moodle Account and begin taking practice tests and engaging in a variety of online resources.  Beginning in January we will be meeting weekly for group practice and book discussions.  Our competition takes place the last week of February.  

Choir:

The choir had a busy December! We began with a concert that was postponed from December 9 to December 11. That concert featured the full choir, chamber singers, several student accompanists, and the UWS string quartet. We also had a moving tribute to loved ones with our poinsettia memorials, and we finished the concert with our traditional performance of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”. Thanks to all who joined us!

On the 18th, the chamber singers performed at the annual Holiday Tea sponsored by Mrs. Lahti and her classes.

On the 20th, the entire choir traveled to the middle school and elementary schools to perform for audiences there. After lunch, the chamber singers continued to tour by bringing their music to Villa Marina Health Care and to Middle River. Then it was off to Bentleyville and Superior for some caroling!  

The singers in the choir have earned their winter break indeed!

Student Council:

Student Council held the annual toy drive and it went well this year! We had over 75 donations. A huge thank you to all of those who donated and made a difference in someone's holiday this year.   
 

Upcoming Events 

TUESDAY: Girls Basketball vs Spooner 5:45pm and 7:15pm (No C-team) 

                   Boys Basketball @ Rice Lake 5:45pm and 7:15pm

THURSDAY: Boys Basketball @ Spooner 5:45pm and 7:15pm (No C-team)

                      Wrestling Varsity Match vs Barron 7:00pm

FRIDAY: Girls Basketball @ Ladysmith 5:45pm and 7:15pm (No C-team) 

               Wrestling Varsity JV Invitational @ Woodside Wisconsin Dome 5:30pm

SATURDAY: Wrestling Varsity Invitational @ Woodside Wisconsin Dome 8:00am

Tiger STRONG. Tiger PROUD.
RESPECT. RESPONSIBILITY. READY.

NMS Students Take Math to the Next Level

The results of Mrs. Teal’s ALEKS Challenge are in! It was quite the battle and there were a lot of students who really stepped up and put in a lot of time and effort into their ALEKS. The winners of the challenge are....Block 4, the 7th Grade Accelerated Math Class! Congratulations. Also, a huge shout out to the overall winner who learned 212 topics and logged 26 hours in just two weeks, and that person is Jay Kaufman!

NMS Peace Poster Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Peace Poster Contest! 3rd place Jarrod Fossum, 2nd place Ashley Erickson and the 1st place poster and moving on in the competition Cameran Jonason! Thank you to Mrs. Melde for coordinating. Congrats to the 11 peace posters that Mrs. Melde choose for high quality and finish. These posters are in the hallway and the artists will be getting something small from Mrs. Melde in the future. Congratulations Eve Kriske, Lily Kwako, Ava Vee, Ashlyn Sutherland, Olivia Opsahl, Parker Lystig, Morgan Martins, Lilli Hoffling, Malerie Yadon, Lauren Wiita, and Caden Miller. Thank You for your hard work and effort.

NMS Drama Wraps Up

AND that’s a wrap for our NMS drama club. Last night all seats were filled in the house! Everyone did outstanding performing in each of their parts! We are so proud of our actors and actresses and their support of each other. Keep listening for future announcements about our upcoming Forensics! Kudos to Advisor Kim Honaken for a great season!

Student-Created Fall Display

Special recognition to Lauren Wiita, Shelby Hessel, Reese Hoffer and Jillian Ahlin for making a lovely fall-themed poster that is on display under lights in the glass case in the main hallway. Credit should be given to these young artists as well as the original “Peanuts” creator and artist, Charles Schultz.

Community-Minded at NMS

NMS students gathered food and decorative table items for our annual Thanksgiving Basket event. The High School FCCLA Club oversees this project. This year laundry baskets were provided for each advisory at the Middle School. A total of 16 baskets were put together! They will be taken to our local Care and Share Food Shelf for distribution in time for Thanksgiving.

NMS English Language Arts Teams Conduct November STAR Check

Our ELA teams will be conducting a November STAR assessment to measure student progress. Be on the lookout for a Parent STAR Report with information.

Red Ribbon Week

NMS hosted Red Ribbon Week here at school. It was a special week where we focused on drug, alcohol, and tobacco education. We had dress up days, advisory activities, daily announcements, and a Red Ribbon Fair during Encores classes. Monday was “Wear Red, sign the pledge” Tuesday was “Drugs are Old School - 6th grade dress up in the 50’s, 7th grade the 60/70’s and 8th grade the 90’s, Wednesday was “Pair Up Against Drugs - Twin Day, Thursday was “Staying Drug Free is No Sweat - wear sweatpants and Friday was “Team Up Against Drugs - wear any sports apparel.

NMS Gratitude To:

• Mr. Lundeen for clearing away snow and ice to make sure sidewalks and entrances are safe for students, staff, and visitors.
• Malerie Yadon for creating two new computer sign in posters for the library!

NMS DECEMBER ACTIVITIES/REMINDERS

• 2 NMS Boys basketball game 6-8pm
• 5 NMS Boys basketball game 3:30-5:30
• 9 NMS Winter Choir Concert @ NHS 6pm & School Board Meeting 5-6pm
• 10 NMS Boys basketball game 3:30-5:30
• 12 NMS Boys basketball game 3:30-5:30
• 16 NMS and NHS Winter Band Concert @ NHS 7:30pm
• 17 DIY Club 3:30-5:30 & NMS Boys basketball game 3:30-5:30
• 19 NMS Boys basketball game 2:15-3:30 & NMS Parents Group Meeting 3:30
• 23-31 WINTER BREAK/NO SCHOOL

Upcoming Events 

TUESDAY: Boys Basketball vs Ashland 5:30pm and 7:00pm

THURSDAY: Girls Basketball @ Cumberland High School 5:45pm and 7:15pm

FRIDAY: Boys Basketball vs Cumberland 5:45pm and 7:15pm

SATURDAY: Wrestling: Boys Varsity Invitational @ Ellsworth High School 10:00am  

                      Boys Basketball vs Merrill 2:00pm and 3:45pm

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of the 2019 One Act Play Competition! The team advanced through three rounds of preliminary contests to advance to state competition where they performed You Can't Take It with You for a panel of judges at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The judges were extremely impressed by the professionalism of the production, and presented the team with the following awards at the state level: Outstanding Acting: Ariel Rutten, Lily Cain, Josh Olson; Outstanding Ensemble; and, the highest award possible, Critics Choice

The Northwestern High School Drama Troupe has advanced to the state level the past seven years in a row!  Congrats Tigers!!

For release on November 20, 2019

Our school year is off to a great start! We are excited about all the progress we see our students making. As a learning community, we are continually looking to improve The School District of Maple. One source we use to reflect on our strengths and areas for improvement is the School Report Card.

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) creates a School Report Card and District Report Card for every publicly funded school and district in the state. These report cards can be accessed online here: http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards. The Report Cards are intended to help all schools and districts utilize data on specific measures to target improvement efforts to ensure students are ready for the next educational step – including the next grade level, graduation, college, and careers.

At the foundation of the report cards are four priority areas. Schools and districts receive a score for each priority area:

• Student Achievement proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics on state assessments
• Student Growth measured by year-to-year improvements in achievement
• Closing Gaps in performance between specific student groups (comparing English language learners, low-income students, students with disabilities, and members of a racial or an ethnic group with their peers)
• On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness is a measurement using reliable predictors of high school graduation and potential post high school success

The priority area scores are then aggregated into an overall accountability score, from 0 to 100. This score is displayed in the top left corner of the School or District Report Cards. It is important to note that the 0 to 100 accountability score is not a “percent correct” measurement. The score is primarily based on our performance last year, the 2018-2019 school year, across the four priority areas.

Schools and districts are also evaluated on their level of student engagement – test participation rates, chronic absenteeism rates, and dropout rates when applicable. Based on its score, a school or district receives one of five rating categories, from Fails to Meet Expectations to Significantly Exceeds Expectations, as well as one to five stars.

Here’s some information we’d like to share from our School District of Maple and building report cards (click here to view each report card):

• School District of Maple 84.4 - Significantly Exceeds Expectations
• Northwestern Elementary School 81.5 - Exceeds Expectations
• Iron River Elementary School 78.4 - Exceeds Expectations
• Northwestern Middle School 83.3 - Significantly Exceeds Expectations
• Northwestern High School 78.9 - Exceeds Expectations

DPI has produced two versions of each Report Card: a quick one-pager labeled “School Report Card” and lengthier, detailed version labeled, “School Report Card Detail.” Both versions can be accessed online at http://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards along with resources that explain the report cards.

The School District of Maple is also required to provide you will all your educational options. This can be found by following this link https://apps4.dpi.wi.gov/SchoolDirectory/Search/PublicSchoolsSearch. The School District of Maple is extremely proud of the programs and quality education we are able to provide to all students in our district. We continue to strive for excellence each year and our report cards highlight those efforts.

We look forward to working with you to make 2019-2020 another successful school year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Sara L. Croney
Superintendent

Breena Kroll
District Assessment Coordinator

All-State Recognition

Northwestern golfer Kiernan Smith has been named Honorable mention All-State for this past season by the Wisconsin Golf Coaches Association.

The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association has named Northwestern Football Players Bryson Mazur, Drew Pearson, & Adam Thompson Honorable Mention All-State.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday: Girls varsity basketball scrimmage at Cameron 

Football

The Tigers defeated St. Croix Falls 42-7 to advance to the Level 3, WIAA State Quarterfinal Game this Friday, against Stratford.  Colin Trautt ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns, Jake Brill threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Jagar Stillson had a defensive touchdown for Northwestern. 

Upcoming Events 

FRIDAY: Football vs Stratford

Band & Color Guard

The band finished October by joining the Concert Choir on the NHS Fall Concert on October 28.  On November 1st & 2nd, nine band members represented NHS at the 62nd Annual University of Minnesota Duluth High School Honor Band.  The two day festival concludes with a 4:00 pm concert on Saturday, November 2.

Those same students will be joined by several of their band mates as they participate in the Northwestern Wisconsin Music Association High School All-Conference Band on Tuesday, November 5.  The all day event takes place in the NHS Auditorium and will conclude with a concert at 5:00 pm.  This year’s guest conductor is Christine Hulmer, Northland College Instrumental Music Director. 

The band & color guard will put their marching uniforms back on for the KBJR Christmas City of the North Parade on Friday, November 22.  The annual event will kick off in downtown Duluth at 6:30 pm.

You can follow the band on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/northwesternhighschoolband/

Battle of the Books

Students continue to read and discuss the 20 titles required reading in preparation for the state battle competition in February.  As of last week, all 20 titles have been read by one or more students.  Attendance has been higher than in past years and students continue to bring in their food items for our Thanksgiving Basket.

Choir

The NHS Concert Choir kicked off its 2019-20 season with a great fall concert on October 28. The choir joined forces with the band for the annual fall concert. Next events include Chorfest Honor Choir at UWS on Thursday, November 7 at 7:30pm, Show Choir Extravaganza at Washburn High School on Saturday, November 16 at 7:00pm, and our Winter Concert on Monday, December 9 at 7:30pm. Contact Mr. Goodlet or the office to find out about purchasing a poinsettia for that concert!

Class of 2020

The senior class went to the Wisconsin Education Fair at UW-Superior.  They had an opportunity to visit with many different colleges, technical colleges and military branches.  It was a great opportunity for them to gather information for many schools all in one location.

DJ Club

The DJ Club provided music at the NHS Homecoming Dance on October 4 as well as the first NMS Dance and Fun Night of the year on Thursday, October 24.  After purchasing several new LED wash lights, they are looking to update their effect lighting to newer, more efficient LED models.  Next up for the club will be providing music at winter athletic event.

Drama

The Drama team is heading to state! After a slow start to the season that included having to learn a new script in just one week, the drama students ‘wowed’ the judges at the sectional level of competition at UW Eau Claire and earned a place at the state competition to be held in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday, November 22 and 23. If you want to see their production, you can see a FREE showing at the annual Night of One Acts to be held in the Patricia Luostari Theatre on Thursday, November 14 at 7pm.

FCCLA

We are off to a fast start.  Students have participated in a fundraiser that will be delivered on Wednesday, November 6th  (members please be sure to make arrangements to pick up your orders).
Seven FCCLA members volunteered at the Special Olympic regional bowling event held on October 12th.   Over a hundred Northern WI bowlers participated along with their families for a chance to compete at the State event later this fall. Great job Volunteers!

The Thanksgiving Basket Community Service Event is well underway.  Students and Staff at NHS and NMS have been collecting items to fill baskets that are due November 8th.   All donations will be delivered to our local Food Shelf  just in time for the holidays starting with the November distribution.  Last year our District donated 47 complete baskets.  This has become such a wonderful way for students in our District to show appreciation and give back to the community.

FFA

Six students traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to participate in the National FFA Convention. A total of 60,000 high school FFA members from around the country gather to participate in competitions, awards, community service, and leadership activities. We also had a pumpkin carving activity night and hosted a visit from the state president and vice president of Wisconsin FFA.

Green Club

More than 20 students gave 2 hours of their time to pick up garbage for our Adopt A Highway portions of Hwy 2. We were able to clean up both the student and staff areas.

Students are collecting recycling on Mondays and are looking to get all rooms a recycle bin with a sticker to identify bin as recycle.  Plan to put up ‘What to recycle’ poster in November.

National Honor Society

The National Honor Society Collect 686 lbs of food during their Trick or Can event on Halloween!

Quiz Bowl

We are 2-2 so far this season 

Cross Country

The Northwestern High School Cross Country Team ended their season this past Saturday in Hammond, Wisconsin at the Sectional meet hosted by St. Croix Central.  Despite season best performances, the Tiger men and women were not part of the top two teams advancing to the state meet.  Bennett Nelson finished 9th overall, one spot away from advancing to state.  Senior Kennedy Nelson was the top female finisher in 15th.  

Other varsity competitors for the men included: Justine Orme, Koy Nelson, Preston Brilla, Kieran Johnson, Emmett Johnson, and Adam Thom.  For the girls: Autumn Askim, Holly Klomhaus, Alayna Peterson, Emma Mickus, Ruby Moore, and Paige Johnson. 

Football 

The varsity football team completed an undefeated regular season for the second consecutive year en route to winning the Heart ‘O North Conference title.  This year’s team earned the #1 seed in the Northwest Region of the WIAA State Playoffs in Division 5.  Over the course of their nine regular season games, the Tigers outscored their opponents by a score of 408-73.  The 2019 football program includes a total of 85 Northwestern high school students, fulfilling the roles of players, managers, cheerleaders, and filmers.

They opened the WIAA State Playoffs with a 41-0 win over Nekoosa.  Jake Brill threw and ran for a touchdown, Colin Trautt rushed for 180 yards, and Brennen Werner had three touchdown runs.  Bryson Mazur had two interceptions to go along with a touchdown reception, and Brill and Jack Ogren also had interceptions for the team.Upcoming Events

FRIDAY: Football vs Saint Croix Falls; 7:00 pm at Gordon L. Nelson Field, Maple, WI