Eighth Grade Students Visit Northwest
Some people say high school can be the best time of your life. For over 200 local 8th grade students, they were able to get a sneak peek into the next level when they visited Northwest on Wednesday morning and afternoon.
Facilitated by Northwest students and teachers, the middle school students were split into groups and able to participate in hands-on learning activities. They were also able to see how technology is being used at the high school level to facilitate learning.
“We are able to give exposure to the different programs we offer at Northwest,” medical science teacher Denise McNeel said. Unique Northwest programs like Project Lead the Way and Principles of Biomedical Sciences were featured and students were able to experience some of the curriculum high school students learn on a daily basis.
“We try to provide experiences from the real world,” chemistry teacher Dave Olson said. “We use problem solving and help them learn how to learn.”
This visit was a follow-up to 8th grade orientation night held on February 1. Nearly 150 students attended that night with their parents. "It allows incoming freshmen to get familiar with the high school and ask questions,” Olson said.
Northwest has the highest rate of option enrollment students in the state at just over 75% of the student population attending from outside the district lines. Option enrollment papers for the 2010-2011 school year are due in the superintendent’s office on March 15. If you have any questions about the process, contact Kate Marron in the Superintendent’s Office at 385-6389.
