.

Email: hllewellyn@pretzelpride.com
Website: www.pretzelpride.com
Location: 300 East Ellis Street, New Berlin, IL, USA
Phone: 2174886012

NBHS Daily Advisory Agenda - Up-to-date information for all high school students shared in Advisory every day!

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Updated!! Creative Media Class - The Salty Side of Things Podcast - Here is our premiere episode of season 3 of The Salty Side of Things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=210_-laIdrc

February At A Glance

Feb 6 Q3 MT

Feb 13 11:45 Dismissal - School Improvement In-Service

Feb 16 President’s Day (No School)

Feb 19 BOE Meeting 6 PM NBEL

Feb 25 1 PM Dismissal - Teacher Professional Development; ACES Competition (Students TBA)

Feb 26 Key Club Blood Drive in Dome; NHS Induction Ceremony 7PM

2026 Illinois Supplemental Parent Survey

Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Opens Feb. 3, 2026 and closes March 13, 2026.

Please take a moment and provide your feedback for our survey. We use this information to plan improvements for several aspects of our school. Last year, we did not have enough responses to get the parent report. Our parent response rate is 5% for the 2026 Illinois Supplemental Parent Survey, and schools need 20% of their parents to respond in order to receive a report. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in working together to make our school great!

On Friday, February 13th, our high school students participated in our third Pretzels with a Purpose Session of the year. All Juniors took the ASVAB test. We had leadership activities created and presented by our Student Council members, social-emotional learning lessons focused on stress management and overcoming procrastination, and our Sophomores met with Kaylee Wobig, ISAC Represnetative to learn about College 101 - how to choose a college that is right for you. Our students also completed their 5 Essentials Surveys. We have to get to 95% or more, and we are at 70% this week. Click below to see the album from the day!

Throughout the week, I was able to get into several classrooms and catch some great activities that students were doing. Ms. Johnson's Forensic Science Class began practicing their pipette skills for gel electrophoresis and then ran the simulation later in the week. Mr. Kruckeberg's Computer Applicaiton students were learning how to create Nesting Formulas to calucalte GPA and other averages quickly and efficiently. Mr. Dunn's Athletic PE classes were completing an intense workout then I caught them stretching as a class. Check out their speed accomplishments below! Mr. Skinner's Modern US History class participated in an Industrial Revolution simulation activity and worked on mundane tasks for little to no money - lost money for complaining - and they learned first hand how unfair labor practices impacted lives. Ms. Julian's Algebra 2 class played Math Jeopardy after their lesson to review what they learned - they are a very competitive group! Ms. Weidhuner's Intro to Ag class worked in stations on different activities to learn the FFA Creed. Ms. Delai had a visiting Artist demonstrate to her ceramics classes and also had another visitor come in and work with students on the mural they will be designing for the building through the Healing Arts Grant.

Check out Maycee's MTI Student Spotlight! She did a fantastic job!

Congratulations to the January Students of the Month for Authenticity!

Senior Marisol Rodriguez; Junior Evelyn McCoy; Sophomore Amarah Melcher; Freshman Finnegan Burke

FCCLA Section Meeting 2026 was a huge success. Weston Brosi and Peyton Smith hosted the meeting with the other 2025/26 Section 6 officers. They also both ran and were elected to the 2026/27 Section 6 officer team. Weston also took his first public step towards running for a 2026/27 state office position.

5 New Berlin students competed in 5 different events and did GREAT!

- Weston Brosi: Fashion Appeal Display

- Rylan Knepler: Design & Decor

- Kinsley Heidenreich: Decorated Cake Frosting

- Lillian Winkelman: Decorated Cake Fondant

- Cecelia Winkelman: Decorated Cookie

Our students joined over 130 students from Section 6 in listening to Garrett Levault's keynote. Next students had the opportunity to attend breakout workshops on self- defense, dairy tasting, blood typing, DIY/life skills, textiles, crafting, and food trucks.

Mrs. McClary said "I am so proud of the group that represents New Berlin and FCCLA!"

Click below for her pictures from the day:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cxxDVQZ9Qk2cwsi49

February 23rd- February 27th

FFA will hold a canned food drive - details on the flyer posted below!

February 13th

Olivia Loving interviewed for her State FFA Degree and has been recommended by the committee to recieve her State Degree! Congratulations Olivia, we are so proud of you!

February 2nd

Congratulations to the NBHS FFA Proficiency Chapter winners Sydney King and Hayden Walter. Sydney King also won Section Proficience and will move on to compete in the District Proficiency Competition in March!

January

Our members attended the Ground Zero Conference on January 30th. Ground Zero is an exciting FFA leadership event that helped them grow as leaders and build confidence through fun, hands on activities. During the conference, our members participated in interactive sessions focused on teamwork, communication, goal setting, and personal leadership skills. They also had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with FFA members from other chapters, listen to motivating speakers, and take part in activities that encouraged them to step out of their comfort zones. Overall, our members gained valuable leadership and brought back new ideas to strengthen our FFA program.

The NBHS FFA were welcomed back by the queens at the Crowne Plaza. Our FFA members proudly assisted guests by holding doors and checking tickets upon arrival, helping create a smooth, organized, and welcoming experience for everyone attending.

Seniorita Kennedy's Spanish Dual Credit classes taught their first lessons of the spring semester. One class of sixth graders learned about animals commonly found in the rainforest, and the other learned vocabulary associated with the outdoors. Both classes had fun playing pictionary to practice the vocabulary. We are looking forward to February's lessons!

Today in Pretzel Activities - Sign-up form for an email subscription of Pretzel activities throughout the week. Will include scores, bus times, and event information for the week.

Want to keep up with Pretzel Extracurriculars? Want to take the kids to the games?

Check out this site Here ! Put it as a favorite! They sell Pretzel Gear on here, as well!!

Keep up with Sports Boosters News - Website - https://www.pretzelsportsboosters.com/

Click below to view 1450.com New Berlin News Stories!

February 12th

The Scholastic Bowl team competed at Pleasant Plains tonight in a quadrangular meet. Varsity went 3-0 tonight and improved their overall record to 67-4. vs Plains, 460-170; vs AC Central, 530-40 vs Virginia, 520-130

Ellery had a season-high 5 tossups on the night. JV played with a small but mighty team coming up short in both their matches. Izzy and Aaron both had season high tossups with 6 and 3 respectively. James rounded out the three-person team with 1 tossup.

February 7th

Scholastic Bowl competed at the Frostbite Tournament in Granite City. It was a tough day with some heartbreaking losses. The A Team went 6-2 on the day losing one of their games by 30 points in the second to last question (after coming back from being down by 180 points!). They then lost their second game to a team they beat earlier in the day by 200 points. B Team went 1-7 playing against some good A teams in the morning and having some close matches in the afternoon. Matt Kapinus was 2nd and Ethan Perry 15th on the All Tournament team. Everyone had tossups today.

League of Extraordinary Bowlers Week 5: Tuesday February 3, 2026

The Scholastic Bowl team wrapped up the League of Extraordinary Bowlers tonight with wins over Warrensburg-Latham and Lincoln and finishing with a perfect 14-0 record. They beat Warrensburg 595-180 and Lincoln 530-200.

Cash Thomas got a first round bye at sectionals for winning his regional. Last night, he won his match in quarterfinals. Good luck today with Semifinals and Finals to go to State, Cash!!

Friday, February 13th, Brady Crews broke the indoor school record in triple jump at the first meet of the season! The new record is now 38’ 4.5”. Big things coming from him this season

Other notable performances from last night are:

Wyatt Oschwald PRing in the long jump (19’ 4.25”), 60m dash (7.63), and 200m dash (24.85). A big day for him!

Brady Crews PRd in the 60 with a time of 7.55

Michael Pecoraro PRd in the 200 (indoor) with a time of 25.72

This was the first indoor meet ever for our freshman competitors and they all set great starting points to start PRing from!

Monday, February 16th

Tuesday, February 17th

Wednesday, February 18th

Thursday, February 19th

Friday, February 20th

Saturday, February 21st

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1074463/NEW-BERLIN-HIGH-SCHOOL/2026-Yearbook/2025081907152170061/CATALOG_SHOP

The 2026 yearbook is officially on sale! It will be 55.00 until 9/12. The early bird intro price will not last forever! Buy it now and save!

Thank you!

Mrs. Hepperly

Otto Baum has completed the sign foundation work. If you have any recommendations, please send me their information to jlarson@pretzelpride.com.

We are still looking for volunteers to help build our Memorial Wall. We have the limestone arch from the original New Berlin High School main entry and the Pretzel Field signage and brick display.

Click on the links below to view this year's pics

25.26 NBHS Opening Day

NBHS Cheer Showcase Showdown - 1450.com

HS Art Classes Flag Design Contest

HS Ceramics Class Projects

HOCO25 Decorating Contest

HOCO25 Pep Rally Bonfire

HOCO25 Paint the TOWN Orange and Blue

HOCO25 Spirit Week Activities

HOCO25 Sunday Parade, Open House, Powder Puff

25.26 Volley for the Cure Night

NBHS Art Club Loami Food Pantry Project

Spanish Club and Classes October Activities

25.26 NBHS Volleyball Senior Night

Child Development Empathy Belly Activity

25.26 Football, Cheer, Marching Band and Golf Senior Night

25.26 NBJr/SrHS Jazz Band and Choir Fall Concert

Made an Impact - Senior Football Video

Art and Spanish Class Collaboration Album

FCCLA Leadership Album

NBHS FFA National Conference Album

25.26 NBHS Veterans Day Assembly

25.26 NBHS Career Day

25.26 Fall PBIS Celebration

25.26 Pretzels with a Purpose

25.26 NBHS Day of the Dead Project Winners

25.26 Angel Tree Cookie Baking

FCSgiving Celebration 2025

Spanish Dual Credit Teaches Thanksgiving Lessons

Waiting for Winter Break Album

Spanish Club December Fun

Mrs. McClarey's Foods Class Final Project

JH/HS Cheer Pep Assembly

2026 County Tourney Albums

Decades of Legends Prior to 1950

Decades of Legends 1951-1980

Decades of Legends 1981-2025 Part I Part II

County Tourney - Thursday Night

County Tourney - Friday Night Album

IL State Scholars Recognized by BOE

Healing Arts Grant Project with Austin Wells and NBHS Art Club

Pretzel Pride! HS Boys Basketball VS Plains

We would like to wish these Pretzels a Happy Birthday!

Often times, parents do not know who to email or call about specific questions.

If you have a child in grades 6-8, they are in the Junior High, and the JH Principal contact is Mr. Radford - bradford@pretelpride.com

JH Secretary - Mrs. Bandelow - sbandelow@pretzelpride.com

If you have a child in grades 9-12, they are in the High School, the HS Principal is Mrs. Llewellyn - hllewellyn@pretzelpride.com

HS Secretary - Ms. Mills - cmills@pretzelpride.com

Registration Questions - Ms. Spann - jspann@pretzelpride.com

Attendance and Fees Questions - Mrs. Peecher - dpeecher@pretzelpride.com

Lunch Account Questions - Mrs. Pidcock - hpidcock@pretzelpride.com

Driver's Education - Mr. Holderread - nholderread@pretzelpride.com

Athletics - Mr. Binkley, Athletic Director - dbinkley@pretzelpride.com

I am reaching out to connect regarding any seniors who may be interested in applying to the Construction Management AAS program or the Construction Occupations program at Lincoln Land Community College for Fall 2026.

Below are a few important updates to share with interested students:

Foundation Scholarship Applications — Due February 15
Before applying for LLCC Foundation Scholarships, students must first apply for admission to Lincoln Land Community College.

Once admitted, students may complete the LLCC Foundation Scholarship application at:
https://llccfoundation.org/scholarships

This single application matches students with all scholarships for which they are eligible, including construction-specific awards as well as general LLCC scholarships.

Fall 2026 Registration Opens April 15
While registration does not open until April 15, now is an ideal time for students to:

• Apply for admission to LLCC https://llcc.tfaforms.net/86

• Reach out with questions

• Begin the program application process

• Complete the Foundation Scholarship application

• Start planning for one of the 40 first-year program seats

I am already in conversation with interested students, and early outreach is strongly encouraged.

Contact Information
For questions related to the Construction Management AAS program, Construction Occupations program, or the Construction Department in general, please contact:

Chris Edmonds
Program Director, Construction Technologies
217-786-4921

christopher.edmonds@llcc.edu

For questions specifically related to Foundation Scholarships, students may contact the LLCC Foundation at:
217-786-2785

Thank you for your continued support in helping students explore career pathways in the construction industry.

Thank you,

Chris

Illinois College is partnering with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Retzky College of Pharmacy to host a free Rural Pharmacy Camp that introduces students to the field of pharmacy, with a focus on serving rural communities.
Saturday, March 7, 2026
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Illinois College | Jacksonville, IL
Registration is now open and space is limited. More information and the registration link can be found here.

Arts & Sciences Programs

The application deadline for the following programs is 4:00 p.m. CT on April 1, 2026.

• High School Summer Scholars Program: June 7–July 11, 2026
• High School Summer Institutes: Dates vary for each summer institute
• High School Summer Launch: July 13–17, 2026

Olin Business School Program

The application deadline for this program is March 6, 2026.

• Gateway to Business: July 12–17, 2026

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts Programs

The application deadline for the following programs is March 31, 2026.

• Architecture Discovery Program: July 12–25, 2026
• Portfolio Plus Program: July 12–August 1, 2026

Visit our Summer Programs page for additional opportunities with Arts & Sciences, Tyson Research Center, the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, WashU Sports Camps and Clinics, and WashU Rural Scholars Academy.

All seniors need to check their email accounts for scholarship updated from Dr. Viola. Scholarship information is also uploaded in Xello.

The applications for the Country Financial Scholarship are open and available. Here is a link to the scholarship page: https://cfll.org/Grants-Scholarships/Scholarships.

The scholarship application period closes on March 1, 2026. Please share the link with anyone and everyone.

Quick reminder…

Students graduating from or have graduated from a high school in Macoupin, Montgomery, Sangamon, or Menard Counties are eligible.

Students who will be 1st-4th year of college/post-high school

Students must attend an accredited college, university, or trade/vocational school

3.5 GPA

Complete application and essay

10-$2,000 scholarships

Children, step-children, and grandchildren of COUNTRY Reps, our staff, and home office employees are not eligible

Here is the information about the Community Foundation’s 2026 scholarship program. The application is now open, and submissions will be accepted through March 1.

Students may access the application through our website using the URL or QR code provided below on the flyer.

URL

https://cfll.org/Grants-Scholarships/Scholarships

We are also pleased to share that our scholarship processing software has been upgraded. As a result, students now need to complete only ONE application to be matched with those scholarships for which they are eligible. This year, more that 45 scholarship opportunities are available for Central Illinois students. Criteria vary greatly by scholarship and we encourage all students to apply.

The College Now Scholarship application is open and ready for students to apply who are planning to take College Now for the 2026-2027 academic year. Please be sure to encourage students who are considering taking College Now courses to apply. High school students who are taking LLCC classes either at LLCC or online with an LLCC instructor who are receiving high school credit for their course are considered College Now students. This is a needs-based scholarship provided by LLCC’s Foundation. Here is the link where students can go to complete the application: https://llccfoundation.org/scholarships. Please be sure students complete the LLCC College Now application if they will continue to be in high school next academic year. It is the second option on the screen.

Students will be awarded these scholarships the first week of May and will be notified in their LLCC email accounts. Students do need to apply as an LLCC College Now student online before they can complete the scholarship application. They will need to have a student ID and active LLCC email account. This scholarship opportunity will close on February 28th. See the flyer below for instructions on how to apply.

LLCC will be offering ACT Test Prep classes in person starting at the end of January. Here is the information to register.

2026–27 FAFSA® Form Now Available (https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa)
The 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is now available to everyone. You can complete the form to apply for financial aid for attendance at college or career school between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027.
FAFSA forms submitted online will typically be processed in one to three days. Once your form is processed, you’ll be able to review your FAFSA Submission Summary, and your FAFSA information will be made available to your selected schools.
You also can make updates or corrections (such as adding a school or a missing signature) to your FAFSA form.
Prepare to Fill Out the 2026–27 FAFSA® Form
Here are some ways you can get ready to fill out your FAFSA form:
Create a StudentAid.gov account (if you don’t already have one).
Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.

Public Illinois colleges have partnered with the Common App and ISAC for a new process called "One Click College Admissions." The process is different for Seniors than for Juniors. The PDF documents below with links and screenshots should help assist with the process.

Students - when setting up a Common App account, please use a personal (non- New Berlin school) email that you have access to.

If you have further questions, please reach out and Dr. Viola will be discussing this further throughout the school year as well.

With approximately 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States plus scores of

government agencies, finding help can be confusing and intimidating. People who need help

often do not know where to begin.

211 call centers are staffed by trained specialists who quickly assess the callers’ needs and

refer them to the help they seek. It’s simple to remember, accessible to everyone, toll-free,

available 24/7, with multilingual capabilities.

211 in Sangamon and Menard County is funded by United Way of Central Illinois. By bringing

this service to the community, especially at a time when more individuals and families need

health and human service support, United Way is fulfilling its mission of mobilizing resources to

meet community needs.

👉 Check out the video below for more information about 211! #Team211

211 Video 2024