The Illinois Primary Election was Tuesday, March 19, and several NCHS Seniors volunteered as poll workers in their voting precincts in Washington County. Poll workers are a vital part of the voting process. They assist voters in obtaining their ballots, explain how to properly mark the ballots to avoid spoiling them, ensure accommodations are met for voters who need them, and make sure the ballots are processed correctly so that every vote counts. In other words, without poll workers, voting would next to impossible. Each volunteer was asked to share what this experience meant to them. Please take a few moments to read about their experiences. Maybe you will be motivated to become a poll worker in the future, too.

Lucy Walters, Zoe Lopez, and Shelby Thorson are ready for the polls to open at the Community Center of Nashville.

While Madison Haege initially volunteered because they "don’t have much else to do," but "when I got to the polling place I was working at, I was immediately welcomed by the other judges. They walked me through the process, explained to me about what I needed to do in more depth, as well as made sure I had some snacks. The time I spent there taught me a lot more about how the voting system works, as well as getting to know people who I had lived near for all of my life but had barely known. I loved every minute of being there and talking with the people of my community, and I would recommend it to anyone!"

Senior Collin Rolf shared, "I volunteered to be an election judge because I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about the election process. I can confidently say that I learned a great deal from my experiences working at the polling place including how a closed primary election works,how ballots are designed and filled out, and the procedures that come with opening and closing the polling place. I think people should volunteer to be an election judge because it is a great way to give back to  the community. It is also no secret that election judges are not getting any younger. Washington County needs young people to step up and take on these responsibilities once the current election judges are no longer able to serve their community. Plus, it pays very well."

Senior Lucy Walters was motivated to join the process when she registered to vote in Mrs. Patton's Civics class. "Our county clerk brought up the demand for younger election judges and informed the class that it has been difficult finding people. The almost fifteen hour work day intimidated me but I decided it would be the perfect chance to get familiar with the voting process. As I arrived at five in the morning, I was greeted by the kindest ladies. They were excited to share their many past experiences of being an election judge with me and I enjoyed every minute. The organized system of the voting process seemed confusing at first but I quickly got the hang of it. Primary elections are not nearly as busy as the federal election in November: however, the day went by at a comfortable pace as I talked and laughed with my fellow judges, ate some Dairy Queen, and traveled to the Courthouse to see the very end. During this experience, I learned how important it is to have a group of responsible people be willing to spend their day setting up and closing down the polls. The need for younger people to step up and help is on the rise. I worked with a lady that was eighty four years old! The technology used for elections continues to advance and the knowledge of the younger generation will benefit the process immensely. If you ever get the opportunity, please consider working as an election judge because I am so glad I did."

To learn how you can register to become a poll worker, contact Shari Hempen, Washington County Clerk and Recorder at shari.hempen@washingtonco.illinois.gov

Paper and pencil standardized tests are now a thing of the past. Beginning this year, the SAT and PSAT will be taken digitally. NCHS staff and students want to be prepared, so on Tuesday, March 12, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors spent time testing their devices and completing the initial demographic information. They were able to learn about the new tools available for testing, as well as how to access practice tests. Everything went off without a hiccup, which makes us all more confident for the school-wide testing day on Friday, April 5. 

Kaylee Hodge reads the terms and conditions for the SAT testing site.

Nashville High School has accepted that AI, artificial intelligence, is definitely here to stay and will be paving the way in the future.  And, thankfully, their approach is very Thoreau-ish.   Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century American transcendentalist writer, spent two years at Walden Pond where he kept a journal later published as Walden in 1854.   Thoreau's intentions at Walden were clear: he wanted to live deliberately and confront the essential facts of life, one of which was recognizing the role that technology played in American society.  For Thoreau, the technology of the time was the telegraph and the railroad with high-speed trains that could reach up to 30 miles per hour.  Thoreau knew, however, that despite the technological advancements, humans had to still be in control.  He penned this warning:  "We do not ride on the railroad: it rides upon us."  At NCHS and in 21st century society, the technology is far more advanced than telegraphs and trains, but the technology is still technology and humans must remain vigilant about being in control.  That's why seven NCHS faculty and staff members spent valuable time away from their classrooms and the building on February 26 - 27 at an AI two-day workshop led by Joe Fatheree, innovation specialist, award-winning author, and highly respected educator.  

Fatheree highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of AI in society as a whole and within the educational arena.  At the heart of his message were three key points: 1) AI is powerful, 2) AI is the future, and 3) we as educators must decide how and why it should be used within our schools to maximize its benefits and diminish its negatives for our students.  He provided instruction on creating education-specific AI prompts, examples of classroom lessons and assessments that could be enhanced through AI, hands-on practice of sound pedagogical instruction, and clear directions on developing school policies for AI in the educational setting.   

Teachers Sara Kollbaum and Michele Goostree collaborated on a potential classroom lesson.  Mrs. Kollbaum admitted: "I entered the workshop with trepidation about AI and its classroom benefits.  I left much more informed about AI at its core and can clearly see that with monitoring and sound pedagogy how AI can and will be a part of the evolution of education."

Teacher and IT Specialist Paul Welte and Guidance Counselor Tesha Maschhoff attended Fatheree's workshop on AI and school policy development and implementation.

All students who are considering a career in healthcare are invited to attend a Career Zoom discussion with the Illinois Rural Health Association on Thursday, February 22, at 7:00 p.m. Learn from Healthcare Professionals in a variety of fields, and have the opportunity to ask questions. 

Click the image to learn more and register!

This photo was submitted by Mrs. Meghan Haglund who captioned it: "Thank You, Mike Miller, for Freezing on Our Behalf."  Meghan wanted to give a shout out to Mike for keeping us safe at NCHS by making sure the sidewalks and driveways are clear of snow each morning before we arrive. She added, "he does a lot of things that we take for granted."