NMSHS Panther Post

Nederland Middle-Senior HS Community,

Happy Valentine's day to everyone. One aspect of the job of principal that is always a blessing and a curse is the impact the position has on your family. I have been very fortunate to have a patient and understanding wife, Cindy, and my two son’s, Chris and Cal. Over the years I have not been home many evenings or on weekends because I was attending work related events. I have been lucky to have worked several years, when Cindy and I worked in the same school district, and I was my son Chris’ principal in middle school and high school. During my career I can honestly say that I appreciate all of the support they have provided me. And, even today, though I do not impact their schedules and life as much, I’m thankful for their continued love and encouragement.

CHSAA Alpine State Championships are this coming Thursday 2/20 & Friday 2/21 at Aspen Highlands. So far, 12 athletes have qualified, including Ned’s very own Cedar Shupe and Grayson Shurr. Good luck, Grayson and Cedar!

VERY IMPORTANT: The first spring sports start in just over a week. Sign up today! Completed registrations and payments through RevTrak are due before the first day of practice. High School Students register at this link, and Middle School students register at this link. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact Janet Turnburke. Spring sports offerings are listed below:

• High School Track & Field with Coaches Gavin Coombs & Kathy Butler - practice starts 2/24, with completed registration and payment due 2/23

• High School Girls’ Soccer with Coach Alberto Gonzalez - practice starts 2/24, with completed registration and payment due 2/23

• Middle School Girls’ Soccer with Coach Valentine Gane - practice starts 3/10, with completed registration and payment due 3/9

• Middle School Boys’ Soccer with Coach Mike Reichert - practice starts 3/12, with completed registration and payment due 3/11

• Middle School Track & Field with Coach Mary Joyce - practice starts 4/8, with completed registration and payment

Finally, there is a Spring Basketball Mini Camp coming up for all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade boys and girls. No experience is necessary! This is a fundraiser led by our High School Basketball teams and coaches ($50/student), with fun drills and games covering footwork, shooting, passing, dribbling, rebounding, offense and defense. Please see the flyer later in the Panther Post for more information on how to register.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Testing Guides: This week Ms. Jill met with 9th - 11th graders to talk about the upcoming PSAT 09, PSAT 10 and SAT exams. In 09th and 10th grades, the PSAT prepares students for the SAT. SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test. It's a standardized test that measures a student's readiness for college. The SAT is widely used for college admissions in the United States. Students are already registered and their April exam cost is covered. These exams will occur the week of April 14th (dates and time details to follow). Parents can find more about the exam information on the College Board website. Student study guides are available or students can practice skills through their Bluebook app or Khan Academy.

Spring 2025 Colorado PSAT 8_9 Student Guide.pdf

Spring 2025 Colorado PSAT 10 Student Guide.pdf

Spring 2025 Colorado SAT School Day Student Guide.pdf

Newest local scholarships:

Boulder Rotary Club Tech Scholarship. Planning to attend a Tech School or Community College? Mechanics, Computers, Welding, Nursing or Sports Science, etc? Check out Boulder Rotary's scholarship specifically for students attending Community College or 2-year tech school. Awards range from $250-$1500. Apply by April 10th. Sign in to bvsd, if the link below is unreadable: Link

Impact on Education: Click this link to apply by March 17th: Impact on Education is happy to again administer five scholarships for the class of 2025. https://www.impactoneducation.org/scholarships/

• Dennie & Donna Wise Scholarship — $1,000

• Earl & Barbara Bolton Scholarship — $5,000

• Gould-Foothill Scholarship — $1,500

• Houston Scholarship — $10,000

• Jeff Howenstein Panther Scholarship — $1,000

Zonta Foothills Young Women in Leadership Award: This program recognizes young women, ages 16-19, who demonstrate leadership skills, a commitment to public service and civic causes, and a strong desire to continued participation in public and political life.

The Zonta Foothills Club of Boulder County is honored that you want to share your impressive accomplishments as a leader in your school and your community. Up to $5000 awarded, plus additional awards at the international level. Apply: by Mar 1, 2025 https://zontafoothills.org/young-women-in-leadership-award

Our local scholarship list contains opportunities that are advertised to Nederland High students. The list is updated as we receive them. See the list here. These are also shared with eligible grade levels, through the Nederland High google classroom.

Boulder Tec application closes soon! The priority dates are January 23 - February 20th. Ms. Jill encourages anyone interested to apply EARLY, spots will fill up quickly. To apply visit the Boulder Tec website. Use your IC student username (without the @bvsd.org) and IC password. tec.bvsd.org

Seal of Climate Literacy. Do you have a passion for the environment, weather, sustainability, energy or social change relating to our climate? If so you may be a perfect candidate for the Seal of Climate Literacy. This credit appears on your high school transcript and earns you an additional honor at your graduation. A celebration event is held at the district, for students who are achieving the Seal.

Right now, students need to fill out the Seal of Climate Literacy @BVSD Interest Form link below to get started; which notifies BVSD and gets you connected to the program. You can begin to build your portfolio of your climate experiences, and there are 2 video workshops being held, which can help you along your way. The dates are:

• Optional Video Meeting/Help Session #6: Tuesday, February 20. 6:00 - 7:00pm Link access.

Internship Opportunity: The Renée Crown Wellness Institute is a research office at CU Boulder. The Institute is offering an internship for BVSD students aged 14-18 to get involved in critical Title IX evaluation work. This is pronounced as “Title Nine”. Title IX relates to the federal law that prohibits gender based discrimination and harassment in public education. Interns will collaborate with researchers to refine focus group questions related to Title IX experiences within Boulder Valley Schools and help develop ways to share findings with the BVSD community. Participants will receive a $200 stipend payment. Find the application QR code and information on their flyer.

Boulder JCC is providing an exhibition The Bias Inside Us, which is an exhibit visiting the Boulder JCC from the Smithsonian Institute from February 22, 2025 - March 23, 2025. The exhibit explores the science of internal bias and its effect on our daily lives. There is no fee to visit this exhibit. The Boulder JCC is located at 6007 Oreg Avenue Boulder, (303) 998-1900

Bias Inside Us.pdf

Need a Boulder-based summer camp or child care for a week or more? Check out BVSD’s Summer Camp option on their site. Options are available for full day or half day, aimed at ages 5 -16.

New Teens Inc Nederland program for opening for 7th-9th graders. See this flyer for QR code and information. This program is designed to foster confidence, belonging, and leadership among 7th-9th graders. Through carefully structured activities spanning 22 days over a six month period, participants engage in outdoor recreation and skill-building that challenges them to take healthy risks, learn from peers, and develop problem-solving skills. Youth will receive gift cards for participation.

• Orientation weekend (overnight in cabins) - March 8th-9th OR March 15th-16th

• Service day with City of Denver Parks and Recreation (day trip) - April 12th OR April 13th

• Rock climbing day (day trip) - May 17th OR May 18th

• Wilderness First Aid course (day trip - no overnights) - June 4th-6th (both cohorts together)

• 5 day front country camping trip, possible activities include rafting, climbing, hiking (maybe mtn biking) - activities will depend on youth interest and input (overnight in tents) - June 9th-13th OR June 23rd-27th

• 8 day front country and backcountry camping trip, possible activities include backpacking, paddle boarding - activities will depend on youth interest and input (overnight in tents) - July 7th-14th OR July 21st-28th

• Closing weekend and celebration at Lincoln Hills - youth will create a collaborative capstone presentation about experience/learning and share with families at celebration (overnight in cabins) - August 2nd-3rd OR August 9th-10th

Please submit an application only if you are confident you want to participate in the program and can attend 80% of the in-person events.

2025 Spring College Fair in Denver is on Sunday, March 09.

1:00 - 4:00pm. See details, including a list of participating colleges, here.

Visit with admissions representatives and find out about the latest majors, campus life, scholarships and more.

Seniors: BVSD hosts drop in FAFSA help, see BVSD FAFSA help page, or connect with Ms. Jill for assistance.

Feeling stress? Need information? See the 2024-2025 BVSD Mental Health Referral Provider List for a list of local psychologists and clinics serving in a variety of specializations, including educational consult services, family consultations, eating issues, substance use and others.