December Norcross News

A publication of the Norcross High PTSA
December 2013
NHS...Working Together, Growing Together, Succeeding Together!
WE ARE NORCROSS!!!
Go Blue Devils!!!!
State Playoffs – Finals
VS
December 14, 2013 - 8:30p.m.
vs. North Gwinnett Bulldogs
@ The Georgia Dome
Tickets: $20.00
On Sale Monday-Friday in the Front Office
Thursday and Friday – During ALL LUNCHES
Let’s Have Norcross Nation Pack those
Georgia Dome Stands!!!
December 2013
1
Norcross News
Published electronically
10 times per year
(August—May) by the
NHS Parent Teacher
Student Association for
students, parents,
teachers, and staff of
Norcross High School.
Editor
Carolyn Barker
Deadline for Norcross News
is the 20th of the month
prior to the month of
publication. Articles and
photographs may be
submitted to the editor
(MS-Word format for
articles; jpeg, full color, 300
dpi for photographs) via
email at
nhsnewsletter@yahoo.com.
PTSA, Did you know...
The majority of your $10 membership fee stays at
Norcross High School. Membership fees and donations fund
PTSA sponsored activities and events during the school year
such as:
- Staff Appreciation
- Scholarships
- Parent Resources
- Student Recognition
- Project Graduation
- Scholastic Support
- Care Team
Join the PTSA - Parents, Students,
Teachers & Sponsors
If you have not joined the PTSA, it is not too late! You can still
join at MyPaymentsPlus.com or print out a PTSA membership form available on the NHS PTSA website and send it in to
the front office with your student. If you have any questions
in regarding membership, contact Cindy Ong
at cindyong246@gmail.com.
For more information on services offered by Chyten, please
visit their website at www.chyten.com
If you have a hard copy
photograph for an upcoming
newsletter, label it with
your name and phone
number and give it to Lori
Pace in the front office by
the deadline date. If you
have any questions or suggestions, please contact the
Norcross News editor,
Carolyn Barker at (678) 9699749 or email nhsnewsletter@yahoo.com.
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December 2013
PTSA Volunteer
Opportunities
The NHS PTSA has many volunteer opportunities for you to get involved in
the 2013-2014 academic school year.
Please take time to review some of your
choices, and contact Nancy Geraghty at
ngeraghty21@yahoo.com to sign up.
Remember, the best gift you can give your
child is being involved in their school and education!
STARS Volunteers
Flexible Scheduling
Flexible scheduling for STARS volunteer mentors and tutors!
STARS (Success Through Academic Rigor and
Support) focuses on 150 at-risk ninth grade students, and strives to help them succeed. These
students meet daily in the NHS theater during
Guided Study for extra support, mentoring,
tutoring, workshops, and recognition
ceremonies. Please see STARS highlighted in
Atlanta Magazine
Can you help? Available sessions are 10:1910:43, 11:18-11:42, and 12:17-12:41. 1,2, or
all 3 sessions – the choice is yours!
If you would like more information on volunteering with STARS, please email Gina Flowers
at gnwflowers@comcast.net Thank you!
December 2013
NHS Phone Numbers
www.norcrosshigh.org
Main Office
Attendance Office
Counselors’/Enrollment
Records Office
Community School
Athletic Director
Clinic
School Police Officer
Media Center
School Store
Administrators
Will Bishop (Principal)
Nathan Ballantine
Jaclyn Burrell
Christine Dailey
Pat Dudley
Andrew Foster
John Power
Memorie Reesman
Lin Wilkins Thornton
Heather Young
Counselors
Joe Culpepper
Rick Donahue
Nsikan Ekpo
Phyllis Gerard
Brent Henderson
Candace McRae
Ashley Morris
Lucy Murcia
770-448-3674
770-447-2652
770-447-2648
770-447-2649
770-447-2643
770-447-2656
770-447-2663
770-447-2668
770-447-2633
770-447-2655
770-447-2632
770-326-8026
770-447-2642
770-447-2636
770-447-2674
770-447-2640
770-326-8069
770-582-7564
770-447-2659
770-582-7540
770-326-8760
770-582-7555
770-447-2647
770-447-2638
770-447-2639
770-447-2670
770-447-2637
770-587-7556
N
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Let’s Celebrate!!!
November Blue Angels
Marguerite Zigui
Hayley Wolfe
William Penniman
Deisy Nunez
Students of the Month (November)
Fantastic Freshman: Taylor Mason
Spectacular Sophomore: Deanne Jones
Jammin' Junior: Kyra Jenkins
Lions Club Super Senior: Jackson Spanjers
The NHS Math Team participated in the Luella High School Invitational on
November 9th with 40 other schools from Georgia and Florida.
The Varsity team came in THIRD place out of all the Varsity teams that
competed!
AND...Nolan Handali won the THIRD place Varsity Individual award!
Our Junior Varsity team consisted of:
Tulsi Patel
Romello Robinson
Caitlin Yang
Our Varsity team consisted of:
Matthew Aspinwall
Emily Cang
Nolan Handali
Kyle Kaikkonen
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Sydney Feinsmith
Matthew Huffman
Alex Kim
Tina Tran
December 2013
Thank you for your support
Check out the article about the November 6th
author event:
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/
nov/06/pulitzer-prize-winning-author-speaks-tonorcross/
Approximately 230 people attended the event. A
big thanks goes out to the La Voz students and
their sponsors Keren Coronado-Mendez and Rosalva
Pena for their help.
Sonia's presentation was absolutely captivating,
and we are so grateful that she was able to
spend some time speaking with our ESOL students
about her experiences and Enrique's Journey.
Orchestra News
Orchestra Holiday Concert
When:
Where:
December 12 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
NHS theater
Come out and enjoy this FREE concert!!!
Enjoy your Winter Break, classes resume on January 7th
December 2013
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Norcross High School Foundation Awards $20,000 in Teacher Grants
The greatest opportunity to impact student learning is in the classroom. Thanks to the
generous contributions from parents, faculty, alumni, community members, and the
business community, the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence is pleased
to award $20,000 in grants to 50 teachers in 12 departments. This is an increase of
$5,000 over what was given in 2012.
Committed to its partnership with Norcross High School, the Foundation continually
supports academics, arts, and athletics, benefitting the entire student body and fostering a culture of excellence. In times of tight budgets, these grants provide teachers
with vital resources to enhance student learning.
To learn more about the history of the Foundation, its mission, how to become involved, and to see a comprehensive summary of all the grant-funded requests, visit the
Foundation Website at www.norcrosshighfoundation.org and like us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/nhsfoundation
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December 2013
For more information or any questions,
contact
Jackie Thunhorst
thunhorst@comcast.net
December 2013
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Counseling News - Test Dates
2013-2014 ACT & SAT TEST DATES
Students are encouraged to take the ACT and/or SAT at least once during their Junior year.
Upon receiving their scores, they can assess their strengths and weaknesses and make decisions about which test to focus on. College-bound seniors are urged to take the ACT or SAT
early Fall. Where directed, indicate the Norcross High School Code- 112-280. This way, Norcross High School will receive a copy of your scores. Students may also register on-line. The
web addresses for registering on-line are: ACT www.actstudent.org SAT
www.collegeboard.com
AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST (ACT)
Test Date
Registration Deadline
Late Registration(Late
Fee Required)
December 14, 2013
November 8, 2013
November 9-22, 2013
February 8, 2014
January 10, 2014
January 11-24, 2014
April 12, 2014
March 7, 2014
March 8-21, 2014
June 14, 2014
May 9, 2014
May 10-23, 2014
SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT TEST (SAT)
Test Date
Tests Offered
December 7, 2013
SAT and Subject Tests
Regular Registration Closes
November 8, 2013
January 25, 2014
SAT and Subject Tests
December 27, 2013
March 8, 2014
SAT only
February 7, 2014
May 3, 2014
SAT and Subject Tests
April 4, 2014
June 7, 2014
SAT and Subject Tests
May 9, 2014
Late Registration
Closes
Nov 22, 2013-mail
Nov 25, 2013-phone
Jan 10, 2014-mail
Jan 14, 2014-phone
Feb 21, 2014-mail
Feb 24,2014-phone
April 18, 2014-mail
April 21,2014-phone
May 23, 2014-mail
May 28, 2014-phone
Senior Parents
We are using Remind 101 this year to send out important senior notices to parents. If you
would like to receive updates, please text @nhssrs to 410-927-5531.
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December 2013
We hope you enjoyed this amazing Production
December 2013
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Blue Devil Sports News
Norcross Varsity Football 2013
Dec. 6th
Semifinals
TBA
7:30 PM
Dec. 14th
Finals
TBA
8:30 PM
Region Game **
Go Blue Devils
Let’s Celebrate!
We had multiple student-athletes signing scholarships in November.. The signings took place on
Wednesday, November 13 at Norcross. Please congratulate these students on their
accomplishments.
Baseball
Griffen Helms - Kennesaw State University
Jascanel Ferreras - GA State University
Golf
Zach Healy - UGA
Swimming Powell Brooks - UGA
Volleyball Kolby Meeks - University of South Alabama
Sydney Marshall - Gardner Webb
Basketball Sierra Butler - GA Southern University
Andre Chatfield - Harvard
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December 2013
Swimming and Diving News
Your Norcross Blue Devil Swim and Dive team had a great season kick off meet in November.
NEW SCHOOL RECORD! Griffin Ramsey broke the school 11 dive record and
qualified for state in his first competition ! Way to go Griffin!
The swim team had a good meet against North Gwinnett High School. We had great success in
qualifying times (see list below). Please join me in congratulating these early qualifiers.
State Qualifiers
Powell Brooks
Ted Dickerson
Zach Waldis,
Sydney Story
Eric Strickland
Carter Woodfield
County Qualifiers
Girls
Michelle Berry – 500 free and 100 breast
Christina Dwier – 200 free and 500 free
Kristen Garvey – 100 free
Sarah Gries – 50 free and 100 fly
Abby Hancharik – 50 free
Hannah Lett – 200 IM and 500 free
Sophie Ryland – 100 free
Sydney Story – 100 free and 100 breast
Raya Ward – 50 free and 100 free
Frances Wilcher – 50 free
Elizabeth Williams – 100 free
Mimi Moss – 6 dive total
December 2013
Boys
Ian Bagent – 50 free and 100 free
Patrick Baughman – 50 free and 100 free
Powell Brooks – 200 free and 100 fly
Dutch Danskin – 500 free
Ben Dickerson – 50 free and 100 fly
Ted Dickerson – 200 free and 500 free
Mark Gross – 50 free and 100 breast
Zach Healy – 50 free and 100 free
Colton Kryski – 100 free and 100 back
Max Linder – 100 back
Sam Medinger – 200 IM and 100 breast
Eric Strickland – 50 free and 100 free
John David Strickland – 500 free
Alex Ullrich – 100 breast
Zach Waldis – 50 free and 100 free
Carter Woodfield – 200 IM and 100 breast
Griffin Ramsey – 6 dive total
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Swimming and Diving News
NORCROSS HIGH SCHOOL SWIM AND DIVE SCHEDULE
November 9th Saturday
November 16th Saturday
November 22nd Friday
December 6th Friday
January 10th Friday
CLODY Diving Invitational
CLODY Swimming Invitational
Norcross vs Collins Hill vs
Archer
Norcross vs Peachtree
Ridge
Norcross vs Dacula
January 11th Saturday
County Dive Invitational
January 18th Saturday
Norcross vs Mill Creek
January 22 Wednesday
Gwinnett County Diving
Championship (Girls)
Gwinnett County SwimChampionship Prelims
(Girls)
Gwinnett County Swim
Championship Prelims
(Boys)
Gwinnett County Diving
Championship (boys)
State Champion Swim and
Dive Meet
December 7th Friday
December 13th Friday
December 14th Saturday
January 23rd
January 24th
January 25th
February 6-8th
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Norcross vs North Gwinnett
Norcross vs Brookwood vs
Northview
Norcross vs Walton
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
Mountain Park Aquatic
Center
Mountain Park Aquatic
Center
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
Collins Hill Aquatic Center
7:15 pm
Collins Hill Aquatic Center
7:15 pm
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
Mountain Park Aquatic
Center
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
Mountain Park Aquatic
Center
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
7:15 pm
West Gwinnett Aquatic
Center
5:00 pm
Mountain Park Aquatic
Center
Georgia Tech
9:00 am
8:00 am
7:15 pm
3:00 pm
8:00 am to
3:00 pm
7:15 pm
3:00 pm
8:00 am
3:00 pm
5:00 pm
TBA
December 2013
Baseball News
Please join the Norcross Baseball family in congratulating Senior Trevor
Craport on his verbal commitment to continue his baseball career as a
Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket!!
Georgia Tech is a Division I school in the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC).
Tech Baseball currently has 8 ACC Championships, 29 NCAA Tournament
appearances, 5 NCAA Super Regional appearances, 3 College World Series
Berths, and produced 46 All-Americans. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a
37-27 2013 season in which they finished 4th in the ACC. Year in and year
out, Georgia Tech baseball is always ranked near the top throughout the
season, competing for the coveted World Series Championship in Omaha.
For more information on Georgia Tech Baseball, please visit their website:
http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-basebl/geot-m-basebl-body.html
Trevor, on behalf of the coaches, players, and the rest of the Norcross
Baseball family, congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment. We
look forward to your Senior season and keeping up with you as you begin a
new chapter in your life as a Yellow Jacket!
Baseball Meeting
Who: All Students Interested In Trying Out For
Baseball
What: Baseball Tryouts
When: Tuesday, December 10 @ 6:45am
Where: Career Tech Room (across from Library)
See Coach Wyman in D205 or
Coach Stancil in the gym if you
have any questions
December 2013
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Wrestling News
On Wednesday, November 20th, the Norcross Wrestling team improved to 6 and 0 on the season, defeating St. Pius X, Tucker and Chamblee in team duals.
On Saturday November 16th they defeated team rival Meadowcreek, Druid Hills and Stephenson.
Please congratulate them and wish the team continued success!!
Seniors
Juniors
Sophomores
Freshmen
Jaleel Alexander
Tim Brown
Carlos Champaign
Michael Cunningham
Imani DeLoatch
Bryan Granados
Idris Henderson
Nick Jones
Eddie Kim
Richard Lopez
Erick Martinez
Tevin Shaw
Ja’reem Stoudemire
Eduardo Venca
Donte Wilder
Axel Arroyo
Josh Brooks
John Dickinson
Herbert Dodson
Juan Espino
Nicholas Fox
Michael Gaylor
Adrian Hall
Jermaine Hall
John Hoang
Alan Marion
Christopher Parra
Daniel Starobinets
Devonta Williams
Chris Anderson
Kenneth Anderson
Diazer Bailey
Alex Bikeev
Nahim Bishop
Nakear Clary
Akil Edwards
Desmond Evans
Eric Farrell
Gordon Flagg
Ryan Grosswald
Tommy Hixon
William Johnson
Jordan Jones
Esai Maltos
Chris Miller
Musunga Mubuso
Christion Richardson
Wade Taylor
Jae Brown
Licarvio Cannedy
Erik Dunn
Montai Ellis
Messale Gooden
Andre Harding
Gilberto Iniguez
Demonte Jordan
Nicolai Jordan
Bryce Juilus
Xavier Lanthan
Devon Le’mons
Henri (Hunter) Liebenberg
Jake Nash
Joe-Anthony Obboye
Elijah Render
Trevor Scott
Andrew Stondemire
Gavin Treadaway
Nigel Weeks
Basketball News
The Norcross Basketball Season began Thursday, November 14th
Check out our website at www.norcrossbasketball.com for all
information, games and times
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December 2013
Clubs and Activities Advisors
Clubs
800 Club
Academic Team
African-American Leadership Roundtable
(AALR)
Anime Club
Art Club
Band
Best Buddies
Mission Statement
To honor students who have achieved an "800" on any part
of the SAT, PSAT or SAT Subject Exam.
To encourage students to learn and improve their skills and
knowledge, analysis, and deduction on many different subjects. They will compete against other high schools.
A student empowerment team that provides students with
Nsikan Ekpo
the skills to move beyond negative stereotypes and into positions of leadership.
To learn about Japanese culture, provide a place for students Patty Buschman
to interact with a shared interest, and explore technology related to animation.
To provide students with the opportunity to experiment with Kim Landers
a variety of art media.
A performing arts class designed for students with experi- Lee Newman
ence on wind and percussion instruments. The marching
band performs at football games, competitions and other
events.
Provides disabled and non-disabled students with an oppor- Tiffany Rojas
tunity to socially interact with the school community
A student-run program that highlights the societal contributions of African-Americans throughout history.
Students encourage and support a positive school environBlue Crew
ment.
A place where students can use their talents to entertain othChamber Choir
ers while expressing and challenging themselves and honing
their musical abilities.
To give students the opportunity to perform dance choreogColor Guard
raphy with flags, rifles, sabers and props with the Marching
Band.
To provide students with the opportunity to learn cooking
Culinary Club
techniques and to prepare food for others.
DECA (Distributive Edu- To provide Marketing Education students learning opportucation Clubs of America) nities and preparing these emerging leaders through goaloriented chapter activities in marketing, finance, hospitality
and management.
An opportunity to allow students to express themselves
Drama Club
through the art of performance and artistic collaboration.
Fellowship of Christian Providing students, athletes and adults a place for fellowship
and worship. Focusing on serving local communities by
Athletes (FCA )
equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a
difference for Christ.
Black History Program
December 2013
Sponsor
Elizabeth Frisbee & Tammy
Ault
Erin Jackson/Aba DeGraftHanson
Nsikan Ekpo
Alden Marchman / Kristina
Marchman
Colette Reed
Lee Newman
Rick Donahue
Lauren O'Connor / Diane
Brackman
Gina Parrish
Dale Farr / Jessica O'Mahoney
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Clubs and Activities Advisors (continued)
Clubs
First Robotics
Mission Statement
Sponsor
To provide an opportunity for students to learn and develop skills Joe Floyd
in leadership and organization as well as understanding the various
aspects of designing and building a robot for competition.
French Club
To promote an understanding and appreciation of French culture
and language outside of the classroom setting.
The establishment of a chapter of the French Honor Society offers
several potential benefits to a secondary French program.
To give students a creative avenue for problem solving. Competes
in FPS competition.
A club designed to meet the needs of students interested in any
type of game. The club provides a variety of video, board and card
games for students to play. Several tournaments and competitions
are hosted by the club throughout the school year. The club meets
once per week and we focus on playing games in which students
are interested.
French Honors Society
Future Problem Solvers
(FPS)
Gaming & Strategy Club
Georgia Thespian Club
GSA
Stephanie Kenemer
Lauren Watson
Elizabeth Frisbee
Jonathan Crymes
To promote excellence in high school theater.
To foster an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding of all
people.
To provide an opportunity for students to learn to play the guitar
Guitar Club
and develop their skill.
Gwinnett Student Leader- To develop student leaders who enhance the function of leadership
ship Team (GSLT)
throughout their local schools by shaping culture and performance.
Gina Parrish
Carol Potter
IB Club (International Bac- To provide an environment that encourages IB Diploma and IB
Certificate students to be involved in artistic pursuits, sports and
calaureate)
community service work, thus fostering their awareness and appreciation of life outside the academic arena.
To Promote positive environmental behavior at NHS and in out
Interact
community
JA Fellows
To prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.
To foster an interest in building superior physical fitness, to learn
JROTC
complex drill movements with rifles, and to be a ceremonial escort
for the flag.
A community service-oriented club undertaking projects focused
Key Club
in the school within our community to assist others in need. Affiliated with the Kiwanis Club International.
Darrell Cicchetti
LaVoz
Math Team
Mock Trial
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Na Seo
Nsikan Ekpo
Robert Katz
Lisa Chawla
John Adams / Travis
Heard
Sarah Rust
Students interested in Art projects, community service or any
Keren Coronado-Mendez
For students who excel in Math will have the opportunity to com- Marleen Kooker & Elizapete against other Math Teams.
beth Frisbee
A competitive organization that simulates a real-life trial in front of Hal Wright
a judge and jury which is designed to help students develop problem-solving abilities, advocacy skills and public speaking.
December 2013
Clubs and Activities Advisors (continued)
Clubs
Mu Alpha Theta
Mission Statement
Sponsor
National Mathematics Honor Society dedicated to inspiring keen Marleen Kooker
interest in math, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and
promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high school.
National Art Honor Society To recognize outstanding art students who excel in the Visual Arts Angela Cronon / Ashley
and give them opportunities to explore new art techniques, partici- Getz
pate in art-based community service, and develop their personal
portfolio.
National Honor Society
NHS is a prestigious society which recognizes students who excel Carol Bohannon
in Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character, and challenges
(NHS)
them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service.
National Society of Black To encourage and inspire black students to learn more about ca- Philip Belfrom
Engineers
reers in engineering.
National Thespian Society An honor society where membership on the basis of the student's Gina Parrish
achievements in the school's theatre program.
Norcross Student Leader- To develop student leaders who enhance the function of leadership Christine Dailey
ship Team (NSLT)
throughout school by shaping culture and performance.
Teaching students to learn creative problem-solving methods while Aba DeGraft-Hanson
having fun in the process.
Competitive performance entered into the GHSA One-Act Play
One Act Play
Gina Parrish
competition.
Orchestra Club
Na Seo
Responsible for planning Prom and coordinating all Junior Class Ashley Zobrosky & JesProm
activities.
sie O'Mahoney
PTSA Student Leadership Our mission is to serve students and the school communities in our Pat Winklbauer
cluster, identifying and coordinating leadership opportunities to
Team
promote positive and supportive school activities.
Odyssey of the Mind
Random Acts of Kindness A club to focus on others and perform anonymous actions for peo- Linda Katz
Club (RAKS)
ple in need and those deserving recognition.
To prepare students who have a passion for reading, competition, Jennifer Lund
Readers Rally
and teamwork, to compete in the Gwinnett Co. Reader's Rally; for
students who have read the Georgia Peach Award books.
Relay for Life
A service-oriented group supporting the American Cancer Society Amy Gallois
and its mission, and participating in the Gwinnett County Relay for
Life event in the spring.
Science Club
To encourage students with a keen interest in science to learn more Carol Potter
about the scientific world and intellectual thought. To advance the
students' knowledge of classical and modern sciences.
Science Fair
Encouraging students to Enhance science projects and compete
Nia Vaughn
with other students.
A service organization and honors society serving our community Paula Bonaker
by participating in projects and activities.
Senior Beta
December 2013
17
Clubs and Activities Advisors (continued)
Clubs
Spanish Club
Mission Statement
To provide the opportunity for members to speak Spanish and increase their knowledge and awareness of the Spanish-speaking
world and its culture.
Spanish National Honor
Society
Step Team
To recognize outstanding students who have excelled academically Elizabeth Ratliff
in Spanish.
To provide an opportunity for students to learn how to "Step" and Tracey Casey
to perform at NHS basketball games and other community events.
An organization whose member's primary focus is to represent
Alden Marchman / Kristheir peers, to be a liaison to the faculty and staff, to plan and lead tina Marchman
events, and which encourages all students to actively participate in
school events and activities.
Student Council
Technology Student Asso- To prepare its members to be successful leaders and responsible
citizens in a technological society through co-curricular activities
ciation (TSA)
within the technology education program.
Volunteer Club
Winter Guard
Yearbook
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Sponsor
Robyn Eder
Joe Floyd
A club to provide students opportunities to volunteer within both Sarah Rust
the school and community.
To give students the opportunity to perform dance choreography Lee Newman
with flags, rifles, sabers and props in an indoor setting and to compete at local competitions during the winter months.
A class that focuses on the production of a professional, creative Lauren O'Connor
publication that covers the students and activities at Norcross High
School, and to take on responsibilities in an authentic business situation.
December 2013