1. Thank you for your interest in Northstar
Academic Excellence Character Creativity

2. Principal Northstar Middle School, Emerson High School & Emerson K12
NELL BALLARD-JONES

3. Northstar Teachers All four teachers have Master’s Degrees
All four teachers are highly qualified
Half of the staff have National Board Certification

4. BOB
HEAD TEACHER
TEACHES:
SOCIAL STUDIES

5. Is Northstar the Right Choice for my Child?
Leaving your neighborhood school is a major decision for families. Here are some important factors to consider….

6. Northstar as a Choice School
A small school setting is only one aspect of a Choice School and should not be the primary reason for applying to Northstar. Families choose Northstar specifically for its:
Thematic curriculum
Multi-grade classes
High academic expectations
Parent involvement
Community service
Emphasis on personal development, teamwork, and leadership skills, through challenging classroom experiences.
Don’t go into detail on bullets yet—covered later.
Hear from students first…

7. STUDENT PRESENTORS Lily Ulrich Adya Verma Current 9th Grader

8. CRITICAL SKILLS Students are able to:
Write multi-paragraph compositions and fully developed sentences and paragraphs.
Conduct extensive word-processing and research.
Read advanced literary & nonfiction texts.
Possess strong math computational skills.

9. Expectations of Northstar Students
In order to be successful at Northstar, students must be ready to make new friends and apply themselves to a challenging academic environment.
Classes demand responsible participation, cooperative behavior, and consistent follow-through.

10. Study Skills, Homework, Personal Organization
Each student must maintain an organized binder and daily assignment planner.
The average daily homework time is 1.5 – 2 hours – sometimes more.
Good homework habits are essential!

11. Academic Challenge
All students must be prepared to work to meet or exceed district and state standards across content areas and maintain consistent academic growth.
Projects and studies involve extensive research, writing, presentations, and use of technology.

12. VINCENT
TEACHES:
ENGLISH
P.E.

13. Academics Theme-based courses Students work in multi-grade classes
Each subject has multiple offerings each semester

14. Course Offerings SCIENCE ART Science Tour Asian Arts Marine Biology
Brain Power
Biomimicry
Flight
Washington Geology
Astronomy
Forensic Science
Physics with Toys
ART
Asian Arts
Drawing
Printmaking
NW Coastal Art
Modern Art
Scientific Illustration
And more
Don’t go into detail.

15. Course Offerings SOCIAL STUDIES ENGLISH History of Disease Philosophy
History of Film
History of Science
World Religions
US History/WA State History
Fantasy Island
Medieval History
War & Peace in the 20th Century & Beyond
& many more!
ENGLISH
History of Rock & Roll
Debate
Creative Writing
Screenwriting
Science Fiction
Horror Fiction
Movie Making
Drama
and more…
Don’t go into detail.

16. Math Pathways 7th Grade Math Algebra 6th Grade Math Algebra Geometry
6th graders take 6th grade math
7th graders take 7th grade math or Algebra
Placement based on Algebra Aptitude Exam, SBA scores from spring of 6th grade and one’s earned grades in the 6th grade math class.
8th graders take Algebra or Geometry
Based on 7th grade math placement.

17. JANET
TEACHES:
ART
MATH

18. Support Group – Required Class  New students randomly assigned  Stay with same Support Group all 3 years
TEACHER
CLASS FOCUS
Conference with students & family 2 – 3 times a year
Academic guidance
Point person between school and family
Personal Development Skills
Communication Skills
Leadership Skills
Stay with same support group all 3 years

19. Student Leadership Skills
Leadership Skills are developed and emphasized throughout a student’s three years at Northstar.

20. Class Size
Northstar is subject to the same student-teacher ratio as other LWSD schools. To offer a full range of courses, our class sizes range from 30 – 38.

21. LUA
TEACHES:
SCIENCE
GEOMETRY

22. Community Service Each Student Each Family
Twenty (20) hours per year volunteering in the community.
Twenty (20) hours per year volunteering for Northstar activities and needs.

23. Extracurricular Activities Varies from year to year, depending on parent involvement
MUSIC & CLUBS
SPORTS
Neighborhood School’s band/orchestra
Northstar Band
Guitar Circle
Chess Club/Games
Science Bowl
Martial Arts
Neighborhood School (need to buy an ASB card)
LANGUAGE
Varies from year to year
Take out French and Latin

24. NAC
Northstar Advisory Committee
Ron and Holly Clark – Chair

25. PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parent volunteers are essential to the success of our school.
All students benefit from the involvement and participation of our parent community.
The majority of the community service hours need to be filled during the school day.
Some ways to contribute:
Conference Week
Field Trips
Office Help

26. NAC: Funding and Supporting Northstar Extended Projects & Curriculum
Families contribute $ per child per year in lieu of other fundraisers.
Scholarships are available.

27. Harriet
Office Manager

28. Nitty Gritty
Enrollment information
Application procedures

29. Important Information
Deadlines & due dates
Lottery Process
No sibling preference
30 6th grade spots
7th & 8th grade openings based on existing waitlist
If accepted, a Supplemental Northstar Application will be required

30. APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application must be completed online no later than 4:00 pm
   
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19

31. MORE DATES
Feb. 1st - Lottery to fill open positions or to place on wait list.
Feb. 7th - Notification of acceptance or placement on wait list sent to families no later than this date
Feb. 21nd - Students accepted by multiple choice schools must choose one school & will be removed from all other choice school waitlists.
Students accepting a position at one choice school are removed from our waiting list.

32. Principal Northstar Middle School, Emerson High School & Emerson K12
NELL BALLARD-JONES

33. Frequently Asked Questions
Transportation
IEP and 504 services
High School
Lottery for incoming 7th & 8th graders
Deal breakers

34. Transportation No yellow school busses.
Emerson Campus students who live more than 1 mile away qualify for a free metro bus pass.
Parents coordinate transportation for their son or daughter.

35. Special Services IEP/504 status will not impact lottery chances.
Due to our small size & limited staffing we cannot serve all IEPs at Northstar.
Students whose IEP needs exceed what we can provide on campus must access those services at their neighborhood school.
Parents are responsible for transportation.
Ability to fully participate in Northstar classes and activities would be impacted.

36. High School
Northstar graduates tend to be very successful in high school.
Most students attend their neighborhood schools.
Some enter the lottery for LWSD Choice Schools Cambridge & Tesla STEM.
Others move into private schools.

37. Lottery for 7th and 8th Graders
Students applying for entry at 7th or 8th grade will be entered in a grade level specific lottery & placed on the existing waitlist for those grade levels.
When/if openings occur, enrollment will be offered to waitlist students in order.

38. Northstar Deal Breaker
Northstar is one of many great schools in the LWSD.
Northstar MUST be a choice made by the student.
Students not interested in attending Northstar will not be happy or successful.

39. Questions & Campus Visit
Ask for parents to stack their chairs.
Two teachers stay for any questions, two go to open school for parents who don’t have questions.