NESC Newsletter- JUNE 2024

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Dear Northeast Schools Community,

As I prepare to step down from my role as superintendent, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and pride for the journey we have shared over the past 17 years. Reflecting on my 38 years in education, I am reminded of the countless experiences, challenges, and triumphs that have shaped my career and, more importantly, our wonderful school community.

When I first joined Northeast Schools 24 years ago, as the Hymera Elementary Principal, I was immediately struck by the spirit of collaboration and the unwavering commitment to excellence that define our district. Over the years, this spirit has only grown stronger, and it has been my distinct honor to serve as your superintendent for the last 17 years.

To our dedicated staff, your hard work and passion for educating and nurturing our students have been nothing short of inspirational. You are the backbone of this district, and your relentless pursuit of educational excellence ensures that our students receive the best possible opportunities. It has been a privilege to work alongside such talented and devoted professionals.

To the parents, your support and involvement have been crucial to our success. You have been our partners in creating a nurturing and effective learning environment for our children. Your trust and collaboration have made our community stronger, and I am deeply grateful for the many ways you have contributed to our district's achievements.

And to our wonderful students, you are the heart and soul of Northeast Schools. Watching you grow, learn, and achieve your dreams has been the most rewarding part of my career. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and resilience have been a constant source of inspiration. As you continue your educational journeys, I have no doubt that you will achieve great things and make us all proud.

As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I leave with full confidence that Northeast Schools will continue to thrive. Our district is in capable hands, and I am excited to see the future successes that await. While I will no longer be a daily presence in the hallways and classrooms, I will always remain a proud member of the Northeast Schools family.

Thank you for the incredible memories and the opportunity to serve such a remarkable community. It really has been an honor and a privilege.

With deepest gratitude and best wishes,

Dr. Mark Baker

Retired Superintendent Northeast Schools

Dr. Baker led with dignity, pride, and a tremendous respect for others. He was a great collaborator who was easy to work with and always willing to listen. The students of the Northeast School Corporation were always first in his heart and mind, and their preparation for life in the 21st Century was a top priority. We truly thank him for his service and commitment these past 24 years, and we wish him a happy retirement!

-The NESC School Board

Nancy Liston is the definition of a Thunderbird and no doubt bleeds green and white. She attended NESC schools throughout her entire K-12 education before enrolling at Franklin College. After graduating from Franklin, she began working for North Central, and after a remarkable 40 years, she served as a coach, teacher, athletic director, and lastly as a principal.

Ms. Liston, your dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment have profoundly impacted countless students, colleagues, and the entire community. You have been a mentor, a friend, and a source of inspiration, always going above and beyond to ensure the success and well-being of others. Your legacy will undoubtedly endure in the hearts and minds of those you have touched. We will miss your presence, but we also celebrate the incredible journey you have had with us. As you step into this new chapter, we wish you joy, relaxation, and the fulfillment of all your dreams and aspirations. Thank you for your extraordinary contributions and for being an integral part of our school community. Congratulations on your retirement!

Northeast School Corporation recognized the years of dedication by Mrs. Trina Noel this month. Mrs. Noel has been a friend to many and counselor to numerous students over her time in our school district. The community thanks her for time making an impact on students during her tenure and wishes her the best in retirement! Congratulations!

Karen Sampson has always been known as a kind and gentle soul, both to staff, students, and members of the community. With her retirement, she leaves big shoes to fill as she was the epitome of an administrative assistant. Whether it was record-keeping, budgeting, or keeping everyone on schedule, she was a true professional and admirably handled any task given her way. Karen, we thank you for your service and hope your retirement treats you as well as you treat others! We will miss you!

Patty Horn is leaving North Central after 36 years teaching math, health, and physical education. Patty's kindness and good nature were always on display, and she took great care and genuine interest in bettering her students in and out of the classroom. Patty, your presence will be missed, but your legacy will live on! Enjoy retirement and best of luck on your new journey!

After a 23-year career in education, North Central says goodbye to Beth Secrest. Beth was a business, computer science, and economics teacher whose impact will leave a lasting legacy for coworkers and students alike. Thank you, Beth, for your service and dedication, and may your retirement be all that you hope it to be!

North Central celebrated its 2024 graduation commencement on Saturday, May 25. Congratulations graduates and good luck as you move onto the next stage of your life!

Prior to their official graduation, the seniors visited both elementary schools where they were showered with cheers, hugs, high fives, and well wishes!

***Click on the button below to view photos taken at all these events.

On May 3rd the Junior High. School Kindness Club dropped off the 100 blessing bags they had for the homeless and indigent population. We took a half day field trip to place blessing bags in the blessing boxes and the light house mission in Terre Haute. The students did amazing at packing the bags and dropping them off. First activity we have done as a group that no one complained about.

Lisa Stepro, spokesperson with the suicide prevention organization, Team of Mercy, spoke to the high school health classes in May. One of the classes joined Lisa for a photo together.

The automotive class took a field trip to Subaru Assembly Plant in Lafayette, IN. last week. The class learned how to program robots like the ones used to assemble the vehicles and we formed an assembly line to build cars out of Legos. It was really neat!! We actually all got medallions for the assembly line. We built 55 vehicles in 3 minutes, with no OSHA violations, which was a record!!! We broke a school out of Indianapolis's record of 50.

I have enclosed some pictures, of the lab work. I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the assembly line itself. It is really cool to see a vehicle built from chunks of steel and plastic all the way till they drive it out of the plant. We learned about job opportunities as well.

Students in Ms. Lee’s Early Childhood Ed class made Slime and Ooblek to celebrate the end of school.

Ms. Lee’s Culinary 1 and Culinary 2 students participated in a pie decorating contest.

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Second graders recently had a guest speaker from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The students listened to a presentation on recycling to help celebrate Earth Day and learned about reducing, reusing, and recycling. Students' knowledge was tested with an activity where they had to take a piece of "trash" and place it in the correct category: recycle, landfill, reuse, compost. At the end of the presentation, they were awarded a certificate and some other goodies for their exceptional listening skills.

Our Beta students at Northeast North have been busy this year. We ended our year with a couple of community service events. My 4th grade Betas visited with Kay and Israel Brewer who started Sullivan County Brown Baggers. We learned about their needs and means of sustaining such an organization. They bagged a weeks worth of food for this organization and were rewarded with a trip to McDonald's afterwards. Our 5th grade Betas visited Our Father's Arms where they folded and organized clothing that had ben donated. They learned of the needs of our community and how serving others serves the greater good of our community at large. They were rewarded with a trip to Dairy Queen.

Students at Northeast North got to experience Poarch’s Exotic Pets on May 16th. Students learned about hissing cockroaches, snakes, bearded dragons, and an axolotl. Mr Passmore was the bravest of them all, as he let Honey be his necklace for a quick moment during the presentation! Students learned a lot from the Poarch family!

Over 120 students celebrated the last day of school with their families enjoying picnic lunches around campus! Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends brought in all kinds of treats. The time spent talking and being with one another was memorable! Subway, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Caseys Pizza were spotted on many blankets. Sandwiches and healthy snacks were also in many baskets. Thank you to all the families that came to share lunch and to spend time at the school with the kiddos.

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On May 22 all Northeast North students received awards that they worked so hard to earn during the 23-24 school year. Students earned awards for IXL, Moby Max, math fact, honor roll, citizenship, and perfect attendance. Academic archer awards were handed out. Cheerleading medals were given. Beta students also received medals for their placement in the state convention competitions. Parents, families, friends and staff were proud of all the efforts of each student this year.

Northeast North welcomed the NCHS Class of 2024 on the last day of school. The seniors were greeted at the door by the kindergarten graduates. Each student received a treat from the kindergartners. The student body lined the main hall to chant “we are proud of you” and gave high fives to passing seniors. Posters were made and shared! Loved ones were hugged.

“It was so fun seeing the students that had walked these halls years ago now grown up and ready to face their next chapter in life,” stated Mrs. Thacker.

The sixth graders of Northeast North participated in the annual Tbird Plunge on May 20. The traditional event has the outgoing class plunging their way down the road on scooters. It takes muscles and upper body strength to plunge down the street while also dodging water being dumped and sprayed on them as they make their way to the pool. At the pool, students must grab a trinket and run back to the starting point. It is a great event. Northeast North enjoyed having seniors from NCHS join us in the plunge this year. An interesting note, the senior class of 2024 was the first class to participate in the now annual Tbird plunge! It is definitely a right of passage onto NCHS.

The third graders at Northeast North hosted lemonade wars the last week of school. Students completed reading “The Lemonade War” by Jaqueline Davies earlier in the month. Then the children worked on creating their own drink mixture and decor for their lemonade stands. Some of the drinks were sweet. Others were tart. Still others had seeds floating in the cups due to being freshly squeezed! Some of the stands had fruit to enhance the flavors. One or two stands had candy to add to cups for extra sweetness! This event has become a tradition for the school’s third graders to test their marketing and creativity skills. The school always enjoys taste testing and voting for the best tasting lemonade and favorite stand. The third grade appreciated families donating cups, ingredients and decor to help make this occasion a success!

Enrollment for 1st-6th grade is set for July 29.

As the school year draws to a close, our kindergarten students eagerly anticipate one of our school’s most cherished traditions: the annual Kindergarten Water Party! For over 20 years, this beloved event has offered our young learners a fun and refreshing way to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments.

The water party features a variety of water-themed activities. A highlight is our treasured water slide, delighting children for over 15 years, thanks to a generous donation from the Weir family. Another favorite is the water rocket station, with rockets donated by former school nurse Cynthia Lyndsey.

This year, the festivities included a special treat: popping water balloons over the heads of their beloved teacher, Mrs. Ficklin, and our dedicated School Resource Officer, Officer Chris Jones. The laughter and excitement surrounding this activity made it a memorable highlight.

Despite evolving over the years, the water party continues to provide a fun and engaging way for our kindergarten students to celebrate their achievements and friendships. It is a testament to the sense of community and joy that defines our school. Here's to many more years of splashes, laughter, and celebration!

At NEEE, Hymera Elementary, our end-of-year celebration for kindergarten, first, and second-grade students was filled with exciting STEM activities. Divided into groups of ten, students rotated through five interactive stations: playdough, dramatic play, building, fluorescent face painting, and extra recess. These stations encouraged hands-on learning, creativity, social skills, problem-solving, and physical activity. The day was a huge success, engaging students and highlighting the importance of STEM education in a fun way. Thank you to all the teachers and staff who made this memorable celebration possible.

4th grade has had an exciting month of May. They have completed I learn testing, rocked out NWEA testing, designing and testing out containers for the Egg Drop Challenge, building catapults, playing kickball, and enjoying a day of fun activities on Field Day. After a hiccup with their field trip to Space Day at the Indianapolis Children's Museum, they rallied back and had an amazing time at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. On the final day of 4th grade, they did a "Build a House of Cards" challenge where they did 8 different challenges, building and rebuilding their houses with new stories and configurations. What a way to end the year!

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Here is some information concerning the new “SUN Bucks” cards that are being sent to parents whose students qualify for free/reduced benefits:

• These cards are similar to the P-EBT cards that were issued during the pandemic years.
• Not all students qualify-- and we have notified (by email) those parents whose children do qualify.
• If you think you may meet the income guidelines for free/reduced eligibility, you may apply directly to the SUN Bucks program either by scanning the QR code on the attached flyer or going to https://indianasunbucks.com and applying online.
• Your child’s school does not have an application for this program—we only report eligibility as of May 1. Please ensure that your mailing address is correct by updating it in Harmony, or you may update your address online through the SUN Bucks website.
• For more information, there is a “FAQ for Parents” page at https://in.gov/doe/nutrition/indiana-sun-bucks-summer-ebt.
• Please contact Nancy Woodard at 812.397.5390 or by email at woodardne@nesc.k12.in.us for any questions you may have.
• USDA is an equal opportunity provider.

Here is list of additional resources for parents to find out more information on the location of nearby Summer Meals:

• idoenutrition.com
• fns.usda.gov/meals4kids
• dial 211 or 866-211-9966

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⤵️

Thanks to all NCHS Student Media students and NESC teachers/staff who contributed to this month's newsletter! Great job everyone!