The Latest from North Hills Christian School: October, 2012

Imagine...

a SCHOOL of EXCELLENCE

- Moving towards classical schooling

- AP & Honors Courses

- Latin & Spanish for grades 1-12

- High school tablet PC Program

Celebrating a Vision:

Preparation for the NHCS Annual Vision Banquet Begins

On November 2, 2012, North Hills hold its major fundraiser and key annual event: the Vision Banquet. Rather than asking families to raise money for the school by selling candy, gift wrap, and other various items, they are asked to simply support the mission and secure the future of NHCS by making a one-time contribution to the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund Giving Campaign kicks off each year at the Vision Banquet, and the Annual Fund offsets the cost of each child's attendance that is not covered by tuition.

NHCS invites parents, grandparents, friends, and potential families to be special guests as the Hellen Kelley Smith Memorial gymnasium is transformed into a beautiful banquet hall of round tables decorated by NHCS parents. A complimentary dinner is served while guests are entertained by various student performances, and attendees are asked to consider making a donation. Gifts of any size are appreciated, and they all add up to make a big difference! One hundred percent of funds raised directly benefit the school.

Childcare is free, and provided for children ages 3 and up. However, both seating for the event and childcare are limited. Individuals must contact the school on or before October 26, 2012 to be placed on the guest list for the dinner and to reserve childcare. Seating for the event begins at 6pm and the program begins at 6:30pm. Invitations will be mailed soon with more information, including sponsorship information.

If you are interested in volunteering to decorate a table at the banquet, please contact Chandra Whicker by email at pwhicker@carolina.rr.com, or by phone at 704-633-5365.

If you would like for us to invite a potential family, a family member, or anyone who might like to learn more about our school and support our mission, please send contact info to Connie Lewis at clewis@northhillschristian.com, or call her office at 704-636-3005, ext. 111.

Reserve your seats or childcare by contacting Suzanne Thibodeau at sthibodeau@northhillschristian.com, or 704-636-3005, ext. 130.

2012-2013 National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

On Tuesday, September 18, North Hills parents, students, and staff celebrated the recognition of this year's National Honor Society inductees. The ceremony was held in the Media Center of the NHCS campus.

Christie Cordell, an alumni of North Hills from the class of 2000, was the honorary guest speaker at the event. She discussed the importance of service, one of the character qualities celebrated in all National Honor Society members. Immediately afterwards, four symbolic candles were lit by NHCS seniors who had been inducted during the 2011-2012 school year. As the candles were lit, other seniors from this group of veteran members read short explanations of each quality for which the candles stood: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

National Honor Society members and their families were invited to stay for a complimentary reception after the ceremony.

North Hills Christian School 2012-2013 National Honor Society Inductees:

Emily Boggs

Kathleen Bourque

Morgan Bowman

Elisabeth Farmer

Caitlin Harrison

Candace-Craig Lyerly

Kevin Mitchell

Julia Murphy

Jared Smith

Natalie Whicker

Congratulations!

North Hills Seniors Receive National Recognition

Abby Lane was offered commendation for outstanding academic promise through the Pre-SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. From National Merit Corporation: "In late September, more than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise." The NMS Program began in 1955 as a way for outstanding students to compete for academic recognition and scholarships. Lane's qualification for the program is based on her 2011 PSAT scores. The commended status places Lane among 34,000 students nationally. Congratulations, Abby!

Dana Salmon is a semi-finalist for the National Achievement Scholarship. From nationalmerit.org: "The National Achievement® Scholarship Program is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students." Salmon's qualification for the program is based on her 2011 PSAT scores. Out of the 160,000 students who currently enter the program each year, only 1,600 are identified as semifinalists. Congratulations, Dana!

Michael Jones was also given the high honor of being recognized by the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship Program. Jones was given the title of "Outstanding Participant", which means he will be referred to higher education institutions for having shown academic promise. Congratulations, Michael!

Read more about qualifications and rewards of the NAS Program

Annual Chili Cook-Off Brings NHCS Community Together

On Saturday, September 15th, North Hills opened its doors to the community, and welcomed visitors to come experience the fun at the Third Annual Chili Cook-Off and Dodgeball Tournament.

Children of all ages were invited to create dodgeball teams to participate in the school-wide tournament, which took place on the gym floor. Those who chose not to don a costume and play cheered for their friends from the bleachers, enjoying their picks of more than twenty chili recipes that were entered in the Cook-Off. An array of goodies and desserts were also present in the food lineup, generously provided by North Hills parents with a knack for baking. Younger children ran freely through the playground in between cookie pit stops. The afternoon was topped off with music, face-painting, and a visit from the smiling green mascots of SweetFrog.

This year's winners of the dodgeball tournament were Team Jeffy, a veteran team who invited alumni of North Hills to return and participate in the competition. The runners-up were The Preppy Nerds, last year's victors. Not all teams were made up of NHCS students or alumni; a team of parents participated in the tournament, as well as a team entirely composed of students from neighboring high schools!

Dr. and Mrs. Gaddis's grilled steak chili took home the title as the best chili in the Cook-Off.

This event has quickly become a school favorite, and North Hills currently plans to host it again next fall. We hope to see you there!

North Hills to Offer "Train Your Brain" Sessions

"Train Your Brain" is a term that has been used on the North Hills campus quite frequently in recent months. Doris Plummer and Shanon Vickers are offering mediation sessions in FIE (Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment) after school during second quarter for students in fourth grade and above. This summer, both teachers received training to become FIE therapists at the Southeastern Center for the Enhancement of Learning in Alpharetta, Georgia, in June. FIE identifies cognitive struggles of students of all abilities and provides therapies that train the brain to function more fully and consistently. Learn more here

If PDF link does not work, right click and select "open in new tab".

Peer Tutoring Lab Now Open

North Hills' tutoring lab, facilitated by the North Hills Christian School National Honor Society (NHS) high school students, is now open for the 2012-2013 school year. The NHS is comprised of juniors and seniors who have shown exceptional wisdom and character. These high school students are paired with a student who is either struggling accademically or simply wishes to get ahead in their work. The lab is open after school on Mondays and Thursdays from 3pm to 4pm. The cost for the lab is $5.25 per hour. There will be no tutoring lab services availible on Thursday, October 11th due to the high school retreat. If you are interested in sending your child to the tutoring lab, please contact Doris Plummer, lab supervisor, at dplummer@northhillschristian.com.

Spiritual Life at North Hills

Being a student at NHCS is about more than academics, fine arts, and athletics - it is also about faith.

There has always been a strong spiritual atmosphere at North Hills, but discussion about improving upon this already prominent feature of the school has led to a few changes. Not long after beginning the new school year, North Hills administration announced that students would be introduced to a new devotional schedule.

On Mondays and Thursdays, students in grades 6-12 file into the gymnasium to participate in corporate worship with their teachers. They spend the first ten minutes of their morning singing well-known worship songs and listening to a devotional message provided by a member of the student body. On Wednesday mornings, staff members separate the students into smaller, more intimate groups, and students and teachers exchange prayer needs. On Friday mornings, high schoolers are paired with "prayer buddies" in younger grades, whom they mentor and guide in weekly prayer. And of course, on Tuesdays, weekly chapel is held in the Media Center.

On Wednesday, September 26th, many students willingly pulled themselves out of bed to arrive at school as early as 7:30 in the morning - all so they could gather around the flag pole and pray together, at the National Event "See You at the Pole." High school students at NHCS also regularly meet for a weekly (voluntary) morning Bible Study.

Final Countdown:

The Class of 2013 Talks College

Thanksgiving is definitely not the only thing on a high school senior's mind when Fall comes around. With the weather cooling off slowly and the holiday weeks fast approaching, many North Hills seniors sense the urgency of the college application season.

But what is it really like to stand toe-to-toe with your future? When asked how they felt about the fact that their freshmen year of college was just around the corner, students echoed sentiments of disbelief and anxious excitement.

Michael Jones, an NHCS senior and member of the class of 2013, is an NHCS "Lifer," having attended since preschool. "It's really bizarre thinking that this time next year, everything will be different. I'll be living in a new place learning new things with new people, and while it's exciting, it's a lot to think about." Jones says his top choice for college is the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He is currently working on applications to four different colleges.

There are also those who feel mostly a sense of readiness - readiness to break away from the familiar and venture towards the rest of their lives. Sarah Parks, who hopes to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is prepared for whatever college has to offer. "It's been a very long time coming. I am more than ready to say goodbye to the monotony of high school and greet the fresh, new, exciting life of college and independence." Parks is planning to submit applications to six schools in all, among them Wake Forest University and UNCG. Thus far, she has completed two of the six.

Taylor Foster, who plans on pursuing a medical career, has chosen the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as her likely choice. Among others, she will also be applying to Wake Forest, Duke University, and North Carolina State University. "Being a senior is so weird," says Foster. "I want the year to be over and I want to graduate, but at the same time I don't want to leave the school, or my friends. If I could stay and not do work, then I would stay forever. It's a whirlwind of emotions."

With college looming on the horizon, the class of 2013 searched themselves for any sage advice to give to their younger collegues.

"Senior year is not a myth," says Dana Salmon, who has applied and is hoping to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "It is real, and it is quickly approaching. Be prepared. Pray, stay in your faith, and STUDY!"

My Stay at Camp Hanes

By Ami Moysan, 5th grade

When my class went to Camp Hanes, I had a lot of fun. We went ziplining, and I thought I was going to die! I was scared at first, but it was fun.

When we did animal adaptions, we got to hold - or wear - a snake! It was a corn snake, and his name was Cornelius. Did you know that it actually looks like there is corn on its stomach? Also, it's a constrictor, so it doesn't have fangs; but it does have serrated teeth, and it does hurt.

It was fun playing in the creek and finding salamanders. I enjoyed being connected with nature, and my classmates and I hope that we can go back some day.

Photos provided by Leslie Hunsucker

Upcoming Events

Refer to our website for a complete calendar of events for the most up-to-date information.

www.northhillschristian.com

Thursday and Friday, October 11 and 12 - High School Retreat

Grandparent Open House - Rescheduled to Spring 2013, details to come

Friday, November 2 - Vision Banquet
1st-5th grade will perform and should plan to attend
Students in the higher grades may perform or volunteer and should plan to attend
6:30 p.m.

Monday, November 5 - Pastor Appreciation Event
Details to come

Thursday, December 7 - Christmas Concert
All lower and middle school music students will perform
6:30 p.m.

Friday, December 14 - Homecoming

2013

February 18 - Technology Open House

May 24 - Last Day of School, End of Year Awards, & Graduation

June 26-29 - Camp Invention for Rising 1st-6th graders

TBA

Field Day

Grandparents' Day

Help Out the Eagles

Volunteers are needed to support NHCS activities and athletics. To volunteer,
contact Melissa Mitchell at mmitchell645@gmail.com or 704-645-7115.