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Viking Association

Mission Statement:

To create, promote, and sustain a "Viking-connected" community of alumni and friends, this Association will foster a lasting and mutually beneficial relationship among alumni, friends, North Salem High School (NSHS), its students and staff, and the community to support the mission, goals, and traditions of NSHS. 

Viking Association

Board of Directors:

Steve Chambers '62, President

Homer Wood '59, Vice President

Larry Smith '54, Treasurer

David Rhoten, '52 Secretary

Herb Triplett '54, Asst. Treas.

Doug Bolton '58, Asst. Secr.

Dick Hornaday '53

Michael T. Smith (friend)

Ken Simila '58 

Kay Mattson '81

Vijitra Boonkoom '92 

Feel free to contact the following:

Steve Chambers:

     steverc@comcast.net

Michael T. Smith:

michael14606@comcast.net

Homer Wood:

    hnjwood@gmail.com

Greetings!

Homecoming 2012

A great Homecoming celebration took place on Friday, September 21.  The Homecoming Assembly featured the introduction of the princesses and princes representing each class as well as the new inductees into the Hall of Fame. 

At lunchtime, birthday cake honoring the 75th year of the North High building, was served to ALL students!  Special thanks to Sodexho, the food service, for donating the cake.  After school, the Hall of Fame was inducted.  Then the traditional paraded trooped down D Street over mile to the school.  The only disappointing note was the loss in the football game to Hood River Valley HS.

Wrestling Fundraiser

The Viking wrestling team, coached by teacher Andrew Pickett, is holding one of the most unique fundraisers the school has seen. On Saturday, October 20, Andy's student athletes will be hosting a gaming and comics related event in the North High gym featuring tournaments in Heroclix, Magic: the Gathering, and Warhammer, along with a raffle, silent auction, prize wheel, and concession stand. Borderlands and Tony's Kingdom of Comics will be volunteering their help to run the event. All proceeds will go to the wrestling program. With budgetary cutbacks to all areas of academics and sports, these kind of fundraisers are increasingly important to keep program that engage kids in operation.

Computer Science at North

North High has an extensive computer science (CS) program focused on preparation for obtaining university degrees in CS and CS engineering as well as professional certification in networking as a Cisco Certified Network (CCNA). The department teaches Pascal, C, C++, and Java languages and students are encouraged to learn on their own (python, ruby, gamemaker and others). Their concern for the lack of diversity in the CS profession drove Don Kirkwood (the founder and backbone of the program) to develop a student-driven technology day called No Boys Allowed (NBA). NBA introduces 8th grade girls to topics in CS. This practice has led to a much higher percentage of girls in North classes than the industry average (NCWIT reports that 18% of all undergrad degrees in CS in 2010 were earned by women and that number is dropping.) At North there are about 150 students participating in CS classes (just under 10% of the student body) and it is a pride point that 24% are female and the number is rising.

North participates every year in the Willamette University programming competition and Chemeketa Community College's gamemaker competition. Viking networking classes are based on the Cisco Systems Networking Academy. These classes prepare students to take the CCNA exam, a professional entry level exam for IT. North grads are currently heading up numerous IT departments in business and state government agencies. Kids are also encouraged to play with open source operating systems and software as reflected in the CS industry. It is great that North students can achieve so much. Consider that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median wage for computer programmers was $71,380 in 2010. North just gives them a nudge!

(Thanks to teacher Michael Reem for information for this article.)

Future Business Leaders of America

FBLA's teacher at North, Jon Abel, is eager to find past members of FBLA who would be able to come into his class and share their experience of FBLA and/or businesses they have gone on to work for.  Others who have business experience are welcome.  If this is something that interests you, please contact Jon at abel_jon_r@salkeiz.k12.or.us .

Don't forget to check out the Viking Association website, and a great one it is!  You can click on the link in the upper left of this page to visit it. 

Viking Association Board of Directors

At the annual meeting of the North Salem Viking Alumni and Friends Association, September 21, 2012, the Board of Directors voted to retain Michael T. Smith and to add Kay Mattson ('81) and Vijitra (Vickie) Boonkoom ('92) for three-year terms, replacing outgoing Jim Reimann and Emery Billings.  Steve Chambers ('61) was elected President and Homer Wood ('59) was chosen as Vice President, while all other officers were re-elected (see sidebar to the left). 

In his final remarks as outgoing President, Homer Wood commented on the success of the first year of our organization.  The number of Vikings who have chosen to join us has grown consistently and projects the organization has undertaken have aided the school and helped establish the credibility of the Viking Association.  The Hatfield and Green Scholarships were awarded to two outstanding seniors last spring, while the Association helped celebrate the North High building's 75th birthday and sponsored another class of inductees into the Viking Hall of Fame.  We look forward to continued growth and to new ways to support the school, its students and staff, and the people who have graduated from its hallowed halls.

Connections

New Viking Association president Steve Chambers recently in Kawagoe, Japan with teachers and students who were involved with the start of North High's sister high school relationship which has been ongoing for 25 years. The gentleman on the right was principal of Kawagoe City High School at the beginning of the relationship.  Chambers delivered to the current principal a letter from North High principal Cynthia Richardson inviting their school to send a delegation next fall.

Reunions

Send us your reunion photos!  Our website will post pictures of reunions as we receive them.  Smile for the cameras!  Please send digital pics to Steve Chambers at the e-mail address below.

If you have not already done so, please send to Steve Chambers your full contact information (name, maiden name where applicable, street address, phone number, and graduating class or if your are a friend) as this will help us keep in contact should your e-mail address change.

Please pass this newsletter to other Vikings so they can also stay in touch with the school.

steverc@comcast.net