September 2016 Volume 15, Issue 2

North Branch High School

Parent Newsletter

Dear North Branch Parents and Students, Welcome Back!

We hope your first few days of school have been both exciting and filled with promise. We are very proud of our Broncos, who they are and what they are able to achieve when they try hard and work as a team. I am certain that this year, we will continue to set our sights high, learning & achieving more. Please remember to stay connected to North Branch High School through the NBHS website to find a whole host of key infor-mation available 24/7. This is a primary way we communicate with families. It will give you access to our weekly newsletter and other important information throughout the year. Please also use our school’s Skyward Family Access. Our mission is to ensure learning today and inspire learning tomorrow. We want students to know that they matter, and this year matters. We are committed to helping our Broncos achieve. If there is something we can do to better serve or help your family make the most of this school year, please let us know. Send-ing an email, or talking on the phone is great. Talking in person is even better. As such, we hope you can join us at one of our school events. A complete calendar is online. Please note that our Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on Mon-day, October 17th (4:00 pm – 8:00 pm) and Wednesday, October 19th (3:00 pm – 7:00 pm). We hope to see you there! Sincerely,

Mark J. Hiltunen, M.Ed. Principal North Branch High School

FALL DRAMA PRODUCTION

North Branch High School is proud to present to you, our production of Disney’s The Little

Mermaid on November 17th, 18th, and 19th, 2016.

Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories and the classic animated

film, Disney's The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music

by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn

Slater and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its

irresistible songs, including "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl" and "Part of Your World."

Ariel, King Triton's youngest daughter, wishes to pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above, bargaining with the evil

sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful

friends, Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea.

Performances of The Little Mermaid are November 17th, 18th, and 19th 2016, at the High School Auditorium. Ticket prices

are 6.00 for adults, 4.00 for senior citizens, veterans, and children under 12. Please be part of our world as we travel under

the sea to bring you our production of The Little Mermaid.

Homecoming will be celebrated September

19-24 with the theme of Board Games.

Spirit Week will be celebrated with the fol-

lowing Days:

Monday – America Day

Tuesday – Class Color Day (Seniors –

black, Juniors – red, Sophomores – white,

and Freshmen – gray)

Wednesday - Work Out Day

Thursday – Farmer Day and

Friday – Blue and White Day.

Friday festivities include a court video, vot-

ing for King and Queen, a pep assembly, a

powderpuff game, and the parade down-

town followed at 7:30 p.m. by a varsity

football game vs. Birch Run. 2015 Home-

coming Queen Mariah Lovasz and 2015

Homecoming King Mack McGough will

crown the 2016 Homecoming King and

Homecoming Queen during halftime.

Congratulations to the following royalty

selected by their peers.

Senior Court

GIRLS

Jenna Dickenson

Sydnee English

Olivia Fike

TessAnn Keeling

Madee Miner

BOYS

Chance Calvert

Andrew Deaton

Noah Morse

Hunter Oliver

Wyatt Ostrum

Junior Representatives

Brielle Mears and Logan Rutledge

Sophomore Representatives

Bailey Good and Preston Orr

Freshman Representatives

Shyanne Utley and Brant Mohr

The week will conclude with a dance at the high school from 7-10 p.m. in the cafeteria.

Tickets available for purchase during all lunches and appropriate attire is required.

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North Branch Community

2016

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2016 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:

TEAMS 1954 NBHS Baseball Team 1954 NBHS Football Team

INDIVIDUALS Francis Baldwin - 1967 Graduate

Richard L. (Dick) Griffin - 1955 Graduate John W. (Jack) Griffin - 1956 Graduate

LeRoy Mabery - 1960 Graduate Ronald Ward - 1961 Graduate

Join us in commemorating our FIRST

North Branch Community Hall of Fame

Inductees who will be honored during Homecoming 2016

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 INDUCTEE EVENTS: 1:30pm Homecoming Parade 3:00pm Doors Open for Dinner in High School Cafeteria 3:30pm Meal is Served (RSVP by Sept. 16

th, see below)

4:15pm Induction Ceremony in Cafeteria 6:45pm Inductees Honored Before Start of Homecoming Football Game To read more about each inductee visit northbranch.touchpros.com. Currently, only the COMMUNITY HALL OF FAME tab has content entered. Academic, Activities and Athletics data will be added in the future. A touch screen hanging in the High School lobby will feature the same information.

ABOUT NORTH BRANCH COMMUNITY HALL OF FAME:

The North Branch Community Hall of Fame was founded in 2016 for the purpose of recognizing individuals or teams with significant achievement who have made outstanding contributions to North Branch Area Schools. Hall of Fame inductees could have excelled in academics, arts, athletics, or volunteerism while at North Branch Area Schools either as a student, teacher, coach, team, administrator, parent volunteer, or community member. This could also include individuals who have distinguished themselves as successful adults in their respective careers, including those who have received honors through meritorious service in selected careers and/or have served as benefactors of mankind. To discover more, and to download a nomination form for future years, visit: www.nbbroncos.net/schools/hs/community_hall_of_fame

Any questions, please call the High School Athletic Department at (810) 688-2518

You MUST RSVP by Sept. 16th for the Hall of Fame dinner to be held 3:30 p.m. September 23, 2016 in the North Branch High School cafeteria. Please make checks payable to NBAS, and mail or drop-off to: Deanna Brusie, North Branch High School, P.O. Box 3620, North Branch, MI 48461

How many adults 13 and older at $10 each: _____ How many children 12 and under at $5 each: _____

Name(s): ___________________________________________________________________________

Your Phone Number: __________________________

Wednesday, September 28 – High School Auditorium – 6:30pm

President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) on

Sept. 14, 2015, process that will impact millions of students. Starting with the 2017-–18 application cycle, the

following changes will be put in place:

Students will be able to submit a FAFSA® earlier. Students will be able to file a 2017–18 FAFSA as early as

Oct. 1, 2016, rather than beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, en-

abling students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year.

NBHS Counselors and representatives from the University of Michigan- Flint will meet with our students and

parents in the HS Auditorium to talk about the different types of financial aid and what the process looks like

once a student has applied and been accepted to a post-secondary institution.

College Applications

Seniors could begin applying to college during the summer months. We will be assisting students with college

applications all year, but will focus most heavily during the month of October. Applying to colleges can become

quite costly. College application fee waivers are available in the counseling office are available, just ask your

student to stop down and speak to us about it.

October 19, 2016 -- PSAT/NMSQT

The PSAT/NMSQT is a Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The PSAT/NMSQT is

not a required test, but those students wishing to compete for the National Merit Scholarship must take the test in

the fall of their 11th grade year. The PSAT/NMSQT is similar to the PSAT 10, which all current juniors took

last school year. Eleventh grade students wishing to take the PSAT/NMSQT will need to sign up in the counsel-

ing office no later than September 22, 2016. This is an optional test, with a cost of $15.00. Please contact the

high school counseling office with any questions.

College Representative Visits

We will have several representatives from colleges and universities visiting us here at NBHS. If your child is a

junior or senior, please make sure they are taking advantage of these opportunities. College Representatives will

help your child apply to their college, discuss programs, campus life, scholarships and answer any questions they

may have. All fifteen of Michigan’s state universities will be doing a scheduled visit at the high school this fall.

Other colleges and post-secondary options will have scheduled informational visits as well. The visits will be

advertised through Skyward, announcements and on the counseling website.

The counseling department has set up a Remind accounts to increase communication, specifically with upper

classmen. The following instructions are to receive text messages to your phone. We also have the directions for

smart phone and email use on the counseling website.

Parents and students of the class of 2017: Text the message @nbhscou to the number 81010

Parents and students of the class of 2018: Text the message @ffkcgd to the number 81010

Please check both the counseling website frequently for updates and important dates. Please encourage your

child to listen to the announcements every day. Communication between the counseling offices usually takes

place during morning announcements. Parents are encouraged to check the website daily for important an-

nouncements. 4

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NBHS

NORTH BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2017

SENIOR PICTURE / CLASS COMPOSITE REQUIREMENTS

ABSOLUTE DEADLINE OF 3 P.M. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 with a digital

photo on CD or e-mailed (digital e-mailed preferred. E-mail to year-

book@nbbroncos.net) or

TWO hardcopy photos (one for yearbook, one for composite)

Overall size: 1 1/2” wide by 2” long

Head Size: 1 1/4” (chin to top of head)

Medium: JPEG preferred (300 dpi or greater) or Color Glossy (2)

Composition: No props, hands, canes, hats, purses, gestures, etc.

Plain Background: subdued blues, grays, etc. – NO OUTDOOR SHOTS.

Your school ID picture will be used if no photo is submitted. Student responsibility to

check the list of photos received on the yearbook bulletin board.

Questions may be referred to Ms. Stover-Lange, (810) 688-3001 x 2156 or rstover-

lange@nbbroncos.net or check the high school website www.nbbroncos.net

You may order a yearbook on-line with credit or debit card by using

www.yearbookordercenter.com. NBHS #12285 or by using the NBAS PaySchools ac-

count.

UPDATE Information in Skyward Student and Family Access

Parents and students,

Your contact information is very important to maintaining communication between the school and

home. Please log into our Skyward Family and Student Access to see the most recent information

that you have provided our offices. If you contact information has changed, please contact the High

School office at (810) 688-3001 to have our secretaries make the necessary corrections. Also, please

remember to update your email addresses in Skyward. We use it quite often for contacting familes

as well as game cancellation messages through the message center.

After school security protocol

Over the course of the past school year, we have witnessed a growing

number of students hanging around the halls after school. This is a

security issue that we need to address, and we need your help. If your

son or daughter is not receiving help from a specific teacher, part of a

sports team or other extra-curricular activity that is in season, they

will be asked to leave the building if they are still here at 3:30 pm

(school is over at 2:20 pm).

Please discuss this with your child so that we can maintain a safe and secure building and have a

safe and secure atmosphere for all students. Students should be picked up by parent/guardian by

3:30 p.m. Thank you in advance for your help in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns,

please contact the school at 810-688-3001.