Volleyball - Updates

In case you haven't heard yet, the North Star Varsity Volleyball Team is having the best season in the history of the school. "The Dawgs" have won their last three of four matches (and were very close to making it four / four!) and at the time of this newsletter being published, are in fourth place in the 2A WIC Conference. The team is currently in position to tentatively host their first ever District Playoff Match at North Star on Saturday the 18th. The team has swept McCall and Marsing and split with Melba this season to bring their match win total to five with two regular season matches left.

Asked how the team made such a dramatic turn around from the last six years and why this team is light years ahead of teams in the past, Second Year Head Coach Michael Jordan stated: "The simple answer is leadership, then the sheer will and tenacity of the entire team to learn and succeed. We were lacking in on court leadership last year, this year we have it. With six Freshmen on this squad, it was imperative to have the three upperclassmen (Sr. Heather Iseri, Jr. Jami Seaney and Jr. Hannah Monroe) step up and lead this group. Along with that, the incredible maturity and skill that Freshmen Kaysa Pfahnmuller and Aubree Seaney have brought to the table has been the driving force behind the success on the court this season. I would like to add that our utility players have contributed significantly to our success as well." The Huskies added an additional dimension to the team this year by including a Social Responsibility component by holding a food drive this season by asking Huskie families and friends to contribute and the result was over three hundred pounds of food being donated at the McCall match that was given to Idaho Food Bank. Coach Jordan added: "This year, in addition to the incredible support and belief in this team from our AD Mr. Conti and of our North Star parents, we have also seen great support from the student body. It truly motivates and makes a difference when we have our people in the stands cheering and supporting this team"

The Huskies have two regular season matches left. At home on 10/14 against undefeated Nampa Christian and on 10/16 at Cole Valley. Game time is 7:00pm for both dates. Stay tuned for how "The Dawgs" finish the season and for details on the District Playoffs! If the team hosts at North Star there will be a Hawaiian Night Party as it will be the last home match of the season and the team will be looking to fill the stands as they say "Aloha" and "Mahalo" to the student body for their support of the team this season.

Fact of the Day - Glorious Galaxies Galore

After last Tuesday’s lunar eclipse, let’s consider galaxies. Until just over a century ago, galaxies were not recognized as different from fuzzy stars. As telescopes got better, astronomers realized galaxies were distinct objects in the sky. Today there are an estimated 100,000,000,000 (100 billion) galaxies in the observable universe.  Our Milky Way, a typical galaxy, has around 100 billion stars. Do the math.

Besides many stars most galaxies have three distinct characteristics, two cannot be seen: dust, black holes and dark matter. Every galaxy has dust. When we look at those amazing photos of galaxies from the Hubble telescope the filmy reddish wisps are really stellar dust. It’s left over from the huge explosions when stars die. Most of it gets repackaged as new stars, planets and or your body. You are stardust.  

Black holes live unseen at the center of most galaxies. Black holes form when massive stars collapse at the end of their lives. Gravity is so powerful in black holes that even light cannot escape. Our Milky Way contains a supermassive black hole of about 4.3 million times as big as our Sun.

All the stars, oceans and the stuff you curse when you stub your toe on it, makes up only 5 % of all known matter.  Dark matter makes up the rest. Dark matter does not interact with light or anything else we know about except gravity.  Dark matter makes the galaxies spin. But it is even more invisible than black holes. 

Booster Club - Coupon Books

Most Coupon Books go Home after Fall BreakThe Booster Club will send home after autumn break the annual Entertainment Books. Families can glean valuable coupons and deals. Please consider a purchase. A sizeable part of the cost goes to the Booster Club, so they might do good works in the secondary school.  
Send comments, concerns and your volunteer’s information to Michelle Lambright.

PTO- Parent Teacher Conferences and Giving Tree

Also, remember the great potlucks that Lorraine organized for teachers at Parent Teacher Conferences Oct 29^th/30^th.  She’s doing it again. More information on how to help is coming soon. 

Teachers are making their list and checking it twice. The annual Giving Tree is only a little over a month away. 

PTO- Entertainment Books

Entertainment Books are once again a big hit. The Fall Festival on Tuesday Oct 28 will be one of the last chances to get your entertainment book this year.

PTO - Teacher Appreciation Lunch

Today, traditional Indian food was served at the first monthly Teacher Appreciation Lunch. The delightful food was prepared by a group of Moms headed by our own Third grade's Priyanka Sodhi. The next Luncheon is November 14 and is sponsored by grades K & 6

Love and Logic- Gaining Wisdom and Resilience

Phil, a recent business school graduate, got his dream job. He did so well that he was invited to a retreat with the big shots of the company. Not only did he get to attend, but he also had a chance to rub elbows with the top man, the CEO of the company.

 

Almost jittery, he approached his idol, “Sir, I was told that I could ask you a question, and what I want to ask is what does it take to become as successful as you are?”

“Well, young man. Success like mine takes a whole series of good decisions.”

“Oh, sir, I’m sure that’s true, but what does it take to make those good decisions?”

“Well, here’s the hard part, son,” the older man responded with pride. “It takes wisdom.”

“Oh, thank you, sir. But that creates a burning question for me. How do you acquire such wisdom?”

“Bad decisions, son. It takes a whole lot of bad decisions. Wisdom comes from learning from your mistakes.”

In 1977 I first started writing about Helicopter Parents. These parents carried the heavy burden of swooping in to rescue their kids from any mistake, disappointment, or struggle. Out of love they were crippling their children by stealing away their opportunities to gain wisdom and resilience.

What I am seeing now is a much worse. This problem has almost reached epidemic proportions with parents trying to create a perfect life for their kids. Little do they know that their children won’t be able to maintain that great life if they have not prepared for it by having to deal with their own little problems early in life. 

The authors of Love and Logic meet many parents who are afraid for their kids to make those poor decisions needed to gain wisdom. I hope you are not one of those parents. But if you are, this gentle reminder comes from my heart. Bruised knees and bruised emotions are the building blocks of wisdom and personal strength. Don’t steal that from the kids you love so much.

 

Listen to my most popular audio CD, Helicopters, Drill Sergeants, and Consultants, for some laughs and solutions to this tempting parenting style.

 

Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.

 Jim Fay 

Booster Club - Fundraiser

Next meeting: Thurs. Oct. 9th @3:30  in Mrs. Drick’s Rm

The NSCS Secondary Booster Club is gearing up for its first in-classroom fundraiser.  We have a kick off next week in 6th-8th grades.  Parents: watch for the Entertainment books to come home! If you need more, we can make it happen.  We can use more parent volunteers to help Mrs. Drick.

4th Grade - Potato Bar

The 4th graders will be having a potato bar on October 22 during lunchtime. The tickets will cost $3. Buy your potato before they run out!