What's New at NCHS?

Photo Credit: Mrs. Heggemeier and Mrs. Kollbaum // Video Credit: Mrs. Heggemeier // Image Credit: Google Images

Image credit: Google Images

NCHS, give a big welcome to our newest foreign exchange student, Paule Caride Rodriguez! Paule decided to become a foreign exchange student because she has done it for short periods of time before and has always loved it. She stated that she wanted to experience the American life that is portrayed in movies, and the reality sort of lives up to it. One of the biggest cultural differences between Spain and America is the food, the hours we eat, and the education system. One of the major differences between the school systems is the grading system because in Spain they do not collect assignments for grades and there are fewer exams and tests. Also, she finds that the difficulty of classes is higher in Spain. Some of her favorite things about the USA are how many activities and sports are offered from the school, the school spirit, and the pride or respect people have for the country. That is all for now as far as an introduction, but I am sure that we will learn more about Paule Caride Rodriguez in the future! Please reach out and introduce yourself and say "Hi."

~Article by Trinity Engelman, '25

Photo Credit: Paule Caride-Rodriguez

This year NCHS has experienced some staff changes, including the ADDITION of Mr. Stote Reeder. He teaches Algebra 1B, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 college prep. He also is our new head boys basketball coach. Some of the things he has said about our boys this year is that he loves all of them; they have gone beyond his expectations and that he has been “blown away” with them. Mr. Reeder shared that math is very important indicating that “this is the position that pays my bills” and he takes his math/teaching career very seriously. Just like any other human, he still continues to learn and get better even though he only has nine years left (including this year), making his teaching career twenty-five years long now. In his previous teaching experience, Mr. Reeder taught at Sullivan High School, working both as a math teacher and basketball & baseball coach (1997-2000). Sullivan High was the school he grew up in as a teen. Additionally, from 2000-2004 he taught at Flanagan High School as a teacher and basketball and football coach. His last seventeen years he taught at Jersey Community High School as a math teacher, basketball coach, and girls tennis and golf coach. As a high schooler himself, he played basketball, football, baseball and was involved in National Honor Society and the band. He got his Bachelors in Math and Masters in Kinesiology (which is sports management) while playing college basketball at Eureka College. While there, his team won the 1994 NAIA National Championship, and he was inducted into the EC Hall of Fame in 2007. Based on these credentials, I would have good faith for our boys this year.

Mr. Reeder says that he “never worked for a staff or students that loved their school more - it's refreshing to be involved in something that has love from top to bottom.” Not to call out any other schools, but Mr. Reeder did have schools where students could barely cheer for their team on the floor like we do and the big student sections were a new thing to Mr. Reeder when he came to a home game. This atmosphere he said “is more comfortable” than others he has taught at.

~ Photo and article by Becca Shopinski, '23

Image Credit: Google Images