NESC Newsletter- FEBRUARY 2025

Thank you to all the students who represented North Central for the recent Winter Homecoming festivities. You all made the NCHS community proud! Congratulations to this year's king and queen, Jace Hooper and Shelby Seay, and congrats also to our new prince and princess, Rylan Cox and Alyssa Smoot!

During Winter Homecoming week, the Buff Puff volleyball game took place with the freshman team embarrassing the senior class and the juniors narrowly defeating the sophomores, setting up a showdown where the junior class prevailed to win the student championship. However, when facing the faculty squad, the juniors could not muster enough magic to pull off the upset and the faculty breezed to an easy victory.

"After all the snow days and early arrivals, the AP Chemistry is back to doing labs. This lab is over kinetics, or rate of reaction. I think I heard it smells bad haha!" -Chris Siscoe

The ICP students have also gotten back into the groove of lab work this semester. They were gathering data for a phase change graph.

Mr. Kutch along with Mr. Barnard and Mr. Ransford took the automotive classes and some technology classes to Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Princeton.

We toured the museum (see pics below) and the assembly plant (no cameras allowed on the line) where the Toyota Highlander, Sienna and Lexus are manufactured. We were able to see the vehicles produced from a chunk of plastic and sheets of metal all the way till they drive them off the line. They produce both hybrids and gas powered options at this location. The plant is 4.5 million square feet sitting on 1,160 acres.

We also learned about career opportunities at the facility. There are several jobs available there, and it is only a little over an hour away from NC. They have everything from a fire department, police department, hospital, cafeteria, and several other departments on site. It is like its own little town. It would be a great career move. Pay is very lucrative with great benefits.

All in all, the trip was very educational and the students all enjoyed it! Plus, they didn't mind stopping at Ponderosa for a late lunch either!

Provided by Mrs. Schultz!

Sixth-grade students at Northeast North Elementary embarked on a delicious journey during their latest Amplify reading unit, "The Chocolate Series." This exciting lesson allowed them to trace the transformation of cocoa pods into chocolate bars through a hands-on experience.

Excitement filled the classroom as students examined a real cocoa pod up close. They carefully opened the pod with their teacher’s guidance to reveal the cocoa beans inside. The students then took part in every step of the chocolate-making process—harvesting the seeds, fermenting them, and roasting the beans just like professional chocolatiers.

Once roasted, the beans were ground into cocoa powder, giving students a firsthand look at the transformation from raw ingredients to a key component of chocolate. The most thrilling part of the activity came when students combined their cocoa powder to create a chocolate bar!

Students also learned about the darker side of the chocolate industry. They discovered how children in underdeveloped countries near the equator are often sold and forced into child labor to harvest cocoa pods. This eye-opening lesson encouraged students to make ethical choices when purchasing chocolate by looking for Fair Trade-certified products that ensure farmers are paid fairly and child labor is not used.

This interactive lesson deepened students’ understanding of their reading material and provided insight into the science, history, and effort behind their favorite sweet treat. Thanks to this immersive activity, students at Northeast North Elementary have a newfound appreciation for the journey from cocoa pod to chocolate bar and the importance of ethical consumer choices.

Check out these fun photos from Mrs. Snellenberger's class!

Northeast East Elementary Beta will be hosting an Art Show at NEEE on March 13 from 5:30-7:00 pm to help raise money for their trip to the Beta National Convention in June. Art projects that have been created in Art Class by each student will be on display throughout the school. The cost to view the Art Show is $1 for everybody except the "artist". "Artist" (aka students of NEEE) get in free. There will be a silent auction for art projects created by the Beta Members to be purchased.

Beta will also host a Chili Supper the same night in the school cafeteria. The Chili Supper will be from 5:30-7:30 pm. Tickets will be $5 for anyone 12 and under, and adult tickets will be $8. Dessert will also be available at the supper for $1. You can purchase your ticket for the supper from any NEEE Beta member from February 6th-March 3rd, or by contacting Mrs. Jaime Weir at NEEE. Tickets for the Chili Supper will be presale only, so you need to buy tickets ahead of time!

One of the most beloved winter activities in Kindergarten at NEEE, Hymera is our Gingerbread Man Deep Dive. Students explore multiple versions of the classic tale, comparing and contrasting stories while engaging in hands-on learning. They build gingerbread houses, sculpt gingerbread men, and embark on a school-wide hunt for our escaped classroom gingerbread man. Each student also receives a hand-sewn gingerbread man to take home and act out the story.

The highlight is a video of the Gingerbread Man dashing through our school, created using modeling and real photos to make him come to life. Students cheered with pure joy as they watched their story unfold in a magical way, making this an unforgettable learning experience!

January at the WONDER Lab: A Snowy Start, but STEM Strong!

Mother Nature tried to disrupt our January schedule with snow and cold, but it will take more than that to keep our T-Birds from their exciting STEM adventures! Despite the weather, students had an awesome time exploring electrical circuits, bucket drumming, creating 3D designs in Tinkercad, and diving into many hands-on STEM activities.

3rd-6th Graders: Electrifying Experiences

Our 3rd through 6th graders had the opportunity to experiment with Makey Makey kits to explore electrical circuits. They tested various materials to see which were conductive and which were insulators, creating closed and open circuits. Through the Makey Makey app, students created pianos, video games, and even Etch A Sketches! Along with circuits, they also explored Tinkercad, where they learned to design in 3D and prepare their creations for the 3D printer. These STEM activities build essential skills that help prepare our students for the future.

K-1st Graders: Engineering Fun with the Three Little Pigs

Our Kindergarten and 1st-grade students used their curiosity to learn about electrical circuits, experimenting with conductive and insulating materials using the Makey Makey kits. They also tackled an exciting engineering project based on "The Three Little Pigs." Each group used marshmallows (bricks), straws (twigs), or toothpicks (straw) to build their "houses," held together by tape or Play-Doh. The Big Bad Wolf (a hairdryer) tested each structure, sparking great discussions on which materials were the strongest and what they would change to make their designs sturdier.

Bucket Drumming: Rhythm Meets Math

Students across all grades participated in a fun bucket drumming session, where they learned about percussion instruments, sheet music, and musical notes. Drumming isn’t just about rhythm; it also helped students see how math comes into play through patterns and beats.

Special Guest: Kara Elkins from Kara’s Kupcakes

We were thrilled to welcome Kara Elkins from Kara’s Kupcakes to the WONDER Lab, where she hosted a cookie decorating workshop for our 5th and 6th graders. A few teachers even joined in the fun! Kara shared her story, inspiring our students to pursue their passions—who knows, we might have some future entrepreneurs in the making! Thank you, Kara, for your time and expertise.

WONDER Wednesdays Return in February!

Mark your calendars for our upcoming WONDER Wednesdays in February! From 5:30-7:00 PM, students will enjoy more hands-on STEM activities:

● February 12th: 4th, 5th, and 6th grade

● February 19th: 2nd and 3rd grade

● February 26th: Kindergarten and 1st grade

This free event is open to NESC students. Be sure to RSVP to Mrs. Brown at browng@nesc.k12.in.us to ensure we have adequate space and materials. Please note that students in grades K-4th will need to be accompanied by a parent or adult chaperone.

This poster demonstrates some of the combinations a student can take to make a reimbursable (free) meal. Our school cafeterias offer a wide variety of entrees, vegetables and fruit so that students can build a meal to suit their tastes. Of course, students can always choose full portions of all 5 components!

Check out all of the wonderful events that are being offered up by our very own Sullivan County Public Libraries in Carlisle, Dugger, Merom, Sullivan, Shelburn, and Farmersburg!

Click on the button below for information on current NESC job openings⤵️

Thank you to all NESC staff and students who contributed to this newsletter!

Also, a big special thanks goes to J&T Sports Photography for their beautiful 2025 Winter Homecoming photos and for many other contributions to this year's NC yearbook as well!