Classroom Buzz
Science Club is Ready for Action
If you're looking for adventures in Science, look no further than the newest opportunity at NCHS: Science Club. According to Mr. Miller's helpful explainer, "the purpose of the club will be to further interest in science. This will be done by encouraging members to participate in science experiences (trips), bringing in outside speakers, and providing an opportunity for members to socialize with others having an interest in science." And if you are not currently enrolled in science, don't worry. You can still join!
The NCHS Science Club is a group effort among the Science Department teachers. Mrs. Bergmann, Mr. O'Rear, Mr. Meinert, and Mr. Miller will be working together to bring you the best scientific experiences around. Mr. Miller shared, "The Science Department looks forward to seeing the student body rally around a new club offered at NCHS."
If you are interested and have not joined the Google Classroom, yet, check your email for Mr. Miller's invite, or see him ASAP.
Image Credit: Google Images
Oh The Places They Can Go!
On Friday, November 3, students enrolled in Career and Technical Education classes at NCHS attended a Career Fair at Kaskaskia College. There were over 75 different careers represented for students to choose from. After attending a morning session, students chose 4 different careers sessions. After lunch, they had the chance to attend a hands on / interactive 90 session.
NCHS Students are ready to experience all of the opportunities Kaskaskia College has to offer.
Mrs. Heggemeier and Mr. Kell can't both take the group picture and be in it...or can they? Be Real saves the day.
Logan Roesner and Nick Davis work on their electrical wiring skills.
Sailor Gutzler-Dlubala checks the teeth of her patient in Dental Assisting. I wonder if they floss?
Peyton Lingle and Aubrey Rhine learn how to make impressions in Dental Assisting.
Devin Schill and Brady Stein are focused on Engineering.
Vita Bartolotta and Avery Piasecki are ready to showcase their welding skills. You can see Vita welding in the video below.
IMG_4460.MOV
Marcus Hunter gets his welding tools ready. You can see him weld in the video below. WARNING: Don't look too closely at the bright lights.
IMG_4457.MOVPhoto and Video Credit: Mrs. Heggemeier and Mrs. Kell
IMG_4461.MOVOliver and Oskar Ryterski show off their wall building skills.
Dylan Hicks and Nate Williams check out Computer Design opportunities.
Isabelle Lovin participated in a bake off in the catering session and got to bring home the brownies she made. She probably made many new friends on the bus ride home.
Did you know that ONLY 7% of high school athletes become college athletes? Max Reeder, Parker Renken, Will Diedrich, and Brance Luessenheide learn about the challenges of being college athletes. Check out their athletic skills as they competed against other athletes in these videos below.
IMG_3005.MOVHere's Will's attempt...
IMG_3006.MOVYou can do it, Max!
IMG_3007.MOVGo Brance, Go!
IMG_3004.MOVYou've got this, Parker!
Brayden Hunter, Alejandra Puentes, and Tailer Pelczynski learned ways to teach elementary students how to build with play doh.
Is Coach Witte checking out the weight room or looking for snacks? Probably a bit of both.
Mrs. Maschhoff's English Class Visits the Holocaust Museum
Mrs. Maschhoff's English class has been studying The Holocaust this fall. They began by learning about the Pyramid of Hate, and how words and actions can compound in dangerous ways in society. They then studied the historical timeline of events taking place in Germany and other European countries. At the end of the unit, Mrs. Maschhoff and her students visited the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
A prior knowledge of The Holocaust is important before visiting the museum. Students have the opportunity to interact with exhibits, artifacts, and relatives of Holocaust survivors. Senior Cindy Guinup said her experience was enlightening. "When you see things about the Holocaust, it usually involves adults. I never thought about the fact that children and people my age were killed in the Holocaust. It made me really think." Mrs. Maschhoff said she was impressed by the knowledge her students were able to share with the people at the museum, and they were equally as impressed with her students.
Cody Warford adds information to the timeline study of events leading to The Holocaust.
Preston Maddox and Kole Peterson (above), and Hayden Frost and Dominick Gipson discuss information for the timeline of events.
"...whoever listens to a witness, becomes a witness."
~Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor
Mrs. Maschhoff's English Students at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
Malakye Walls and Hayden Frost view artifacts at the museum and listen to their stories.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Jennifer Maschhoff
"Mr. Miller Risks His Life"
This was the explanation from sophomore Annie Shubert when she submitted these photos to the Blue Banner.
Turns out it wasn't so life threatening. Mr. Miller explained that he "was making an Iodine (Lugols) solution for a Mrs. Bergmann's starch test lab. I was hazmat style suited up because it stains everything it touches!"
Whew!!! Rest assured, Annie. Mr. Miller's life was not threatened, and it was just one colleague helping out another one.
Photo Credit: Annie Shubert
Early Childhood Education Students Visit KC
For the first time, Nashville High School is partnering with Kaskaskia College to offer Early Childhood Education classes for students with an interest in a career in child care or elementary education. On October 25, students had the opportunity to visit the Child Care Center at KC to observe and interact with children there.
Sophomore Katie Kurwicki shared she is considering a career involving young children, and wanted to learn more about how they grow, and how their brains develop at different ages. "Visiting the childcare facility at KC opened my mind to understand and see for myself the difference between each developmental stage between kids. I would recommend this class to others even if you don’t want to go into a career with kids. You can learn about all the different aspects of a child through this class."
If you would like to learn more about how you can take this class next year, contact Mrs. Maschhoff or Mrs. Luessenheide in the Guidance Office.
Brie and Sydney (above), and Brooklynn Armer (right) observe and play with students in different stages of development.
"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning." ~Fred Rogers
Photo Credit: Mrs. Maschhoff
Marketing Students Complete Storefront Projects
Marketing has been hard at work during first quarter, and the results can be seen in the store layout projects on display outside of Mrs. Heggemeier's classroom. Students have learned how to understand store personality, store advertising techniques, and how social media has changed the marketing arena.
Anna, J.T., Alejandra, and Peyton are hard at work on construction.
Arabella works on her Spencers layout (above), while Peyton, Jillian, and Mackenzie are choosing their designs (below).
Class favorites were Alejandra Puentes for Best Color Scheme, Tailer Pelczynski for Most Realistic Design, Abby Knepp for Best Overall Design, and Brendan Frieman for Best Details.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Heggemeier
Marine Corps Teaches the Value of Communication
Major Alex Irion of the Marine Corps visited on Wednesday, Oct. 4 during 6th hour to discuss the importance of communication and teamwork. Students from study hall, Mrs. Spenner's class, and Mrs. Patton's class got to take part in the presentation.
Major Irion gives instructions to student volunteers Aubrey Rhine, Jackson Harre, Sawyer Hughey, and Kolt Dieker
Photo Credit: Mrs. Spenner
The BEST Classroom
NCHS faculty and staff tackled a difficult topic on Thursday, 10/5/23, during BEST. Carl Adams from the Washington County Ambulance Service presented on Stop the Bleed, a training designed to equip individuals with knowledge for saving lives. To learn more about Stop the Bleed, click this link.
Carl Adams and In-Service Coordinator Nurse Melissa Harriss
Mr. Begando applies pressure to stop the bleed.
IMG_4427.MOVMr. O'Rear practiced packing a deep wound with gauze.
Nurse Harriss and Mrs. Patton practice packing gauze.
Photo / Video Credit: Mrs. Kollbaum
"We Must All Get Ready Now" in Modern History
As Mrs. Goostree's students finish their study of the early Cold War years, they demonstrated their knowledge of how Americans were taught to prepare for potential nuclear war. From shoe box models to Minecraft and everything in between, they now know how their grandparents may have prepared.
Behold! Bomb shelters by Brooke Harris (above) and Hollyn Hennrich (below) which reflect how people might have stocked up or designed their shelters.
Rheanna Kiefer demonstrates how she chose to lay out her shelter, and why, while Leo Dunahee animated what happens when you "see the flash" and run to your shelter (below). Click the video to view their shelter.
Civil Defense Bomb Shelter.mp4Bert the Turtle says, "Duck and Cover"!
These ideas were shared through Civil Defense / Government Advisory Boards. To view some of the inspiration for their Modern History study, view this short TV advertisement from the 1950s.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Goostree
Beautiful Weather for a Chemistry Chalk Lab
Mr. Miller's Chem I students recently took advantage of the pre-fall weather to calculate the amount of Calcium Carbonate (in moles) used while writing with sidewalk chalk. That information was then used to format their first lab report of the year
Are you doing something interesting in your classes? Snap a picture or two for Blue Banner like these students did 👇. Your shoutout could end up in our latest updates!
"There is an art to science, and science in art; the two are not enemies, but different aspects of the whole.
~Isaac Asimov
Photo Credit: Mr. Miller
Leaf Collecting 101
Sometimes freshmen are lucky enough when leaf collecting to have the guidance of former Biology I students, and that was definitely the case this weekend. Carson, Gannon, Carter, and Kam were guided by junior Scarlet Konkel and NCHS graduate Kaden Linkey in helping to properly identify leaves from trees native to Illinois
Leaf collecting does require getting "down and dirty" sometimes too. Wonder how much sap these boys were wearing after this tree climbing adventure?
The BLUE BANNER would LOVE to feature photos of your LEAF COLLECTING ADVENTURES. Email photos to Mrs. Kollbaum at skollbau@nashville-k12.org or Mrs. Goostree at mgoostre@nashville-k12.org.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Linkey
Learning Outside NCHS Walls
NCHS Nurse Melissa Harriss is in a bit of a different role this year for part of her day, and she's excited about this opportunity. This semester she is teaching Medical Terminology at the Nashville KC Extension Center during 7th hour Mondays - Wednesdays. She shared that "we are learning medical word building principles, body systems and a general introduction to the medical field. So far I love it!" She challenges, " Do you know what ECG stands for or what an arthrocentesis is? The Medical Terminology students do!" The class consists of three Nashville students and four Okawville students. In January the students will continue with the Nursing Assistant Program.
Mrs. Harriss explains the group assignment in which students were given sets of medical prefixes that look similar. They had to make a presentation to share with the class why these words are similar and/or different, use them in a complete medical word, and create an example test question.
Ayrssa Brehm, Mrs. Harriss, Quentin Pedtke, and Tailer Pelczynski
Tailer shared about the class: "This new class has opened my mind to the medical field and has helped me narrow down choices for my future. It introduces me to the basics of words in a medical atmosphere which is fun to learn. This class wouldn't be possible without the endless amount of work Mrs. Harriss is continuing to do."
Quentin likewise shared: "The Medical Terminology class out of the extension center is going great. It is for sure a change in schedule (that I like) but it is going well. Nurse Harriss is doing a great job teaching for the first time and coming up with ways to make it stick in our heads. We are all learning lots. If anyone ever has the opportunity to take it, do it! It gets you introduced to medicine which will help with your future career. It is a great opportunity that our school allowed for us to do, and hopefully it is a continuous thing for years to come."
Photo Credit: Mrs. Harriss
Whose Teamwork Stands Tallest?
Mrs. Spenner's Workplace Communications class tackled the Marshmallow Tower challenge. The point is to combine all ideas into one to create the largest freestanding tower. Using only a yard of string, a yard of tape, 20 sticks of spaghetti, and one marshmallow, the team of Austin Kirsch, Marcus Hunter, and Noah Shopinski won the contest.
Olivia Verges, Nick Davis, and Braxton Brooks with their second place tower.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Spenner
June 30, 2023. A Date Which Will Live in Weather Infamy.
Mrs. Spenner's English II class has been sharing their personal experiences of living through the June 30th storms. They wrote individual reflections and then worked to arrange their reflections into a collage piece. Collage writing is a larger work of writing that puts together smaller "pieces" in order to form one cohesive whole. The students had to discuss what elements they wanted to share, what order to share them in, and how to segment everything into a larger piece that works well as a whole.
Landan Pierce, Caleb Decker, and Levi Huge organize their ideas.
Does anyone else hear the sound of generators humming when they see this image? 👉
Photo Credit: Mrs. Spenner // Mrs. Goostree
Bryce Schettler, Evan Kroeger, Kelton Roethemeyer, and Byron Johnson confidently create their whole piece.
Science Students, Start Your Engines!
Mr. Miller's students have been busy building balloon cars, with the goal of using the formula for Speed (Distance divided by Time) to reach maximum speed AND distance. Students could build their cars out of any material they chose, except their wheels. No cheating and using toy car wheels! The moment of truth arrived this week. Prototypes could run from the starting line to the end of the lab. The top distance was 8 meters in a car engineered by Camdyn Buescher. Unfortunately, no one earned the prestige of being added to the Wall Club - you need a minimum of 9 meters for that - but everyone acheived their goal.
You need good old fashioned air from your lungs to start the engine.
FIRST PLACE Balloon Car of Camdyn Buescher.
Photo Credit: Mr. Miller // Gif Credit: Google Images
Does an empty bottle give you an air power advantage?
Modern History Students "Stage" Coups from the 1950s
Seniors in Mrs. Goostree's Modern History class have been working together to creatively re-tell the stories of the Iranian and Guatemalan Coups that impacted U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. Sound boring? Far from it. Click the video below and to the right to learn more about these historic events.
Guatemalan Coup Group Cindy Guinup, Tanner Brooks, Autum Kiefer, Brady Meyer, Hailee Grzegorek, and Devin Schill.
"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten"
~Rudyard Kipling
snapchat-1217930866_l9P6auTR (1).mp4Iranian Coup Group Dakota Bannert, Leo Dunahee, Rheanna Kiefer, Lia Bulger, Brooke Harris, and Hollyn Hennrich.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Goostree
NCHS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN AIM
The Kaskaskia College - Industrial Technology Facebook page posted on 9/1/23: "High School students enrolled in the KC Aspirations in Manufacturing Program (AIM) this fall have officially completed their third week of classes here at the Crisp Technology Center. In the last three weeks, students were introduced to manufacturing safety and processes, toured Americana Outdoors in Salem, IL, and learned about robotics and welding."
Photo Credit: Facebook
NCHS students Talan Robinson, Will Pedtke, and Riley Barbee
Talan Robinson shared his thoughts about the program: "The hours are good and give us plenty of time to get to school, learn the curriculum, and make it back for our courses at Nashville High School. The classes are focused on manufacturing safety and manufacturing processes. We also have math 110A, which is a technical math that teaches us ways to use math in trades. The math helps for my future because it gives me real-world problems. We get a lot of structure at KC, and we receive personal help from our instructors. This is important because it helped me adapt to my new learning environment. This program helps to prepare me for the work I’ll be doing after high school and helps us adapt to a work environment which will make the change to joining the workforce after school easier."
Riley Barbee shared her thoughts as well: "I believe that the AIM program at KC is very beneficial to my future. Class starts from 8:30 to 11:00. It's not a lot of time for class, but you learn a lot. Right now with our classes we are learning about safety in the workplace with manufacturing or just with any job. We have done a Virtual Reality Headset to practice safety in different situations with different jobs. We have also been on a tour to Americana and we will be getting more tours at places that have different types of manufacturing. On Friday when we got out for early dismissal we spent half of our time welding and working on different welding projects. Then we spent the rest of our day learning how to program a welding robot. It was actually really cool and who knew it could be that easy to program one. I think this AIM program will help students a lot with deciding what they would like to do after high school."
Could YOU survive Jamestown?
U.S. History students were put in charge of Jamestown and tasked with creating a survival plan for their struggling settlement. After that, they had to share a visual representation of their plan. To see some video versions, view Marcus Bartolotta and Alex Word's video below and Alana Kujawa's project to the right.
Grady Kirchner and Isaac Blazier shared a birds eye view of their fort (right).
The BEST Classroom
Thursday BEST mornings aren't for sleeping in for the faculty and staff of NCHS. We leave that to the students to get an extra hour of wink. Faculty and staff spend their BEST mornings dedicated to "building excellent students together." The BEST "classroom" focus on Thursday, 8/31/23 was CPR training excellently led by Nurse Harriss.
Mrs. Robinson (above) and Mrs. Goostree (below) practice their thirty chest compressions to the rate of "Staying Alive."
Photo Credit: Mrs. Kollbaum // Image Credit: Google Images
Mr. Markotay checks the airway of his patient.
Research Is ALWAYS Better With A Popsicle...
Mrs. Luessenheide's psychology classes have been discussing methods of research and the last few days of beautiful weather have been made even better with group work analysis of survey research with a popsicle.
...and Bubbles
Mrs. Luessenheide shares that "in an effort to show how psychology relates to everything, even bubble blowing, my psychology classes spent some time outside blowing bubbles. It wasn't all fun and games though, as they had to determine how various aspects of blowing bubbles relates to different kinds of psychology."
Photo Credit: Mrs. Luessenheide