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Admittedly, sometimes NCSD students spend more time talking in class than working on assignments. But what about those students who have all the words in their head, but can’t quite get them to sound correctly? That’s where our amazing NCSD Speech & Language Pathologists come in! in this episode, we hear the voices of five NCSD SLPs: Stephanie Gaslin (Milwuakie High), Ambyr Henderson (Spring Mountain), Katie Lee (Linwood, Sojourner), Malory Manderfield (Oak Grove, New Urban Online), and Heather Tomsky (Cannady), who share about their unique profession and why they love to teach…all about speech.

There’s quite a buzz happening each week in our Sabin-Schellenberg’s Cosmetology program, and it’s not just the electric clippers snipping the final touches on a perfect haircut. Fridays in February are Client Days, when NCSD community members make appointments with Cosmetology students getting hands-on training in haircuts to highlights and perms to pedicures. In this episode, we make an appointment with Cosmetology’s lead instructor Jeri Davis, who says 20+ years of helping students pursue their passions post high school never goes out of style.

It’s a special assembly morning at Ardenwald Elementary, and as classrooms of curious students shuffled into the gym one by one, a group of frenzied first graders couldn’t hold back their excitement upon first gazing at the guest performers concealed under giant colorful lion costumes.

“Do you think that’s him?” one asked a nearby classmate, eagerly pointing toward one of the fluffy costumes. “Nah, I think he’s in the other one,” her friend quickly replied.

Why did Miss Messina’s first graders seem to know so much about a secret celebrity performer in the upcoming Lunar New Year assembly?  Because once the drums started pounding and the dancing lions came to life, it didn’t take them long to realize it was their classmate Kingston Ho-Phanouvong under a lively red lion bobbing and weaving right up front.

Whenever Milwaukie High School freshman Ari Davis arrives in the cafeteria each day for lunch, she can’t wait to visit with her friends and bite into the day’s fresh food choices.

“I like it when they bring new stuff to the school lunchroom because it changes things up and makes things fun,” said the upbeat ninth grader.

Whether it’s hamburgers, salads, deli sandwiches, or french fries, Davis says her school’s cafeteria always offers up some appetizing options. Or in today’s case…apple-tizing.

Forget pressure-packed athletic events or attending first prom dances, many NCSD students say their stomachs start to churn most when facing their first-ever job interview.  But thanks to unique College & Career courses required for 9^th and 11^th graders, NCSD students are more confident than ever answering tough interview questions and planning for careers after high school. In this episode, we dust off our resume and visit with NCSD College & Career teacher Aaron Hazel, along with Kim Amador and Brittanie Strutz- two Teachers-On-Special-Assignment who have helped develop this hands-on curriculum that has students researching college and potential career paths, perfecting resumes, and of course, mastering the job interview.

As a new term of classes begins for NCSD high school students in February, many eager teenagers take notes and contribute to class discussions in warm indoor classrooms…safe from the cold, rainy weather that usually comes during that time of year.  Yet for several groups of classmates, the outdoors is their classroom…and they wouldn't want it any other way.

A brand-new calendar year at Rowe Middle School means new beginnings…new classes on the horizon…and this year, a new fashion trend that’s already sweeping through the school’s hallways. And while students and staff haven’t been shy showing off the new-look Shamrock spiritwear, the eighth grader behind the new design is a little shy about sharing her creative motivation.

If you know any young readers, you’ll want to keep sliding your tray along into this week’s episode! Our story begins once upon a time in the Oak Grove Elementary library, where staff can’t seem to keep up with orders for “Lunch Lady,” a set of popular graphic novels in which the school Lunch Lady solves captivating cafeteria capers. That’s until NCSD Nutrition Services managers Kris DeHut and Raimi Kaan said “Hold Your Horseradish!” to the Oak Grove book shortage—donating an entire set of books to the school and providing a cooking demonstration for students dressed as the Lunch Lady herself! Pass the condiments, as you’ll relish the chance to find out more behind-the-scenes information about NCSD’s Nutrition Services Department!

When local community members can’t afford to purchase new clothing, they can always turn to the Clothes Closet at NCSD’s Wichita Center for Family & Community, where racks of donated jackets, sweatshirts, jeans, shoes, and even baby clothes are always available every week.

But now when mom’s favorite jacket has a torn pocket, or there’s a hole in a child’s favorite hoodie, they can turn to Wichita volunteer Karen Lehman. The retired Special Education professional loves to lend a hand (actually both hands) when visitors’ clothes are literally hanging on by a thread.

High school basketball fans know how incredible Clackamas High’s varsity girls team plays on the court. The number-one ranked Cavaliers use stifling defense and long-range shooting accuracy to light up scoreboards in a hurry.

But this holiday season, they’re also making sure some local kids’ eyes light up on Christmas morning. The group of close-knit teammates who are always cheering for each other on the court…are also spreading cheer by anonymously adopting two local families in need.