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Message
from the Principal,
John McMorris | |
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Dear Northgate Community,
I want to wish all of you a safe and healthy holiday season. I consider it a grand gift that I have been given the opportunity to serve as Principal of Northgate High School. The students, staff, and community of Northgate High School are the finest I have ever associated with. Every day at this school, first-rate work that challenges and inspires occurs within our concrete walls. Let me give you an example of just one day, Wednesday, December 10th, 2008:
I left my office and went to our beautiful theatre provided in large part by our parents [Northgate Pride Community Foundation], in concert with the Mount Diablo Unified School District. In the theatre, a two-day Mock Congress was in full session. Senior students dressed in business attire and debated the issues challenging the United States Congress today. They wrote bills, drafted amendments, asked and answered questions, built alliances, forged compromises, and represented their ideological interests or sought to gain material rewards for their districts to enhance their own political standing. Students have spent months researching, reading and writing about American government and the issues facing our society; they then took this knowledge and put it into action. I have attended National and State Mock Congresses, but never a school-wide event on this scale. My hat goes off to our entire school that worked together to pull this off. Special appreciation goes to our Social Studies department under the direction of Jeff Spoden, and our United States Government teachers, Jon Burchett, Ben Campopiano, Kevin Davis, and Mike Greaney who made this happen!
When I left the theatre, I entered the main building to the cafeteria where I observed a large group of students huddled around our superstar Sports Medicine Director Glen Barker, who was showing students a procedure for tending to an injured knee. Mr. Barker teaches nearly 200 students daily the art and science of sports medicine. His class alone is a marvel, but Mr. Barker goes far beyond teaching sports medicine; he oversees a massive student trainer program, which provides medical support to all of our sports programs. You have probably observed these students at Northgate athletic events tending to minor injuries.
Moving on from Sports Medicine we walked to the World Language Department where Ms. Ballard (our phenomenal new Spanish teacher and girls soccer coach) directed students in a Spanish Language fashion show. Students had prepared clothes, music, and detailed descriptions in Spanish regarding fashion. Students were speaking and listening to Spanish in an authentic setting, and, they were enjoying themselves at the same time!
This is just a small window on what I observed in one day. Our students and staff are engaging in powerful teaching and learning at Northgate High School. We are moving forward in every department to improve teaching and learning with the goal to provide rich, rewarding experiences for all students at Northgate High. I appreciate all of your support, and look forward to working together to build on this foundation and make Northgate the school our students deserve!
Happy Holidays,
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Date |
*Event |
Time |
Place |
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*remember to check calendars for Instrumental Music & Athletics for more details
PFC website & calendar |
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Dec 20 -Jan 4 |
Winter Break |
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NO SCHOOL |
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Jan 6 |
SITE Council Meeting |
310p |
Library |
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Jan 8 |
Athletic Boosters Meeting |
730p |
Library |
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Jan 10 |
District Honor Band Concert
featuring nine NHS students |
730p |
JDLTheatre |
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Jan 13 |
NIMBoosters Meeting |
7p |
Lori's home |
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Jan 15 |
PFC Meeting |
7p |
Library |
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Jan 19 |
Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday |
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NO SCHOOL |
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Jan 19 |
Jazz Band
Rehearsal & Recordingsession |
8a-5p |
JDLT |
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Jan 21-23 |
Finals |
TBA |
Check Jan Bell Schedule after Jan5 |
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Jan 23 |
End of 2nd Qtr. & 1st Semester |
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Jan 23-25 |
NHS Jazz Band travels to Folsom Jazz Festival (dep after Finals) |
1240p |
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Jan 24 |
Athletic Boosters Annual Crab Feed |
6p-11p |
Centre Concord |
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Jan 30 |
Winter Ball |
TBA |
TBA |
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Jan 31 |
CCC Honor Jazz Band Auditions |
TBA |
Stanley MS, Lafayette
Contact Mr. Brown in Jan. |
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Feb 3 |
SITE Council Meeting |
310p |
Library |
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Feb 5 |
Early-Out Day |
1235n |
due Staff Development |
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Feb 5 |
Athletic Boosters Meeting |
730p |
Library |
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Feb 7 |
CCC Honor Band Concert |
TBA |
TBA |
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Feb 9 |
Lincoln's Holiday |
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NO SCHOOL |
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Feb 10 |
NIMB meeting |
7p |
TBA |
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Feb 11 |
District Honor Orchestra Auditions |
630p |
College Park HS
contact Mr. Brown first |
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Feb 16 |
President's Holiday |
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NO SCHOOL |
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Feb 18-19 |
NHS Jazz Band Auditions
for 2009-10 |
315-5p |
contact Mr. Brown first |
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Feb 19 |
PFC Meeting |
7p |
Library |
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Feb 20 |
Senior Banquet |
TBA |
TBA |
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Feb 27 |
Wind Ensemble travels to
Chabot College for Windband Festival |
all day |
Hayward |
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Feb 28 |
District Honor Orchestra Concert |
730p |
JDLTheatre |
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Mar 3 |
SITE Council Meeting |
310p |
Library |
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Mar 5 |
Athletic Boosters Meeting |
730p |
Library |
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Mar 10 |
NIMB meeting |
7p |
TBA |
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Mar 19 |
PFC Meeting |
7p |
Library |
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Mar 21 |
Go Green, Go Clean
Campus Clean-up Day |
9a-1p |
NHS |
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Mar 24 |
Area Band Festival
includes NHS, Foothill MS, Walnut Acres
and Valle Verde |
730p |
NHS Gym |
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Mar 26 |
Area String Festival
includes NHS, Foothill MS, Pine Hollow MS, Walnut Acres Elem, Valle Verde Elem |
730p |
NHS Gym |
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Mar 27 |
End of 3rd Quarter |
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