Rick Elertson, Principal Nederland Middle-Senior High School . It has been a summer filled with family, fun, and….CONSTRUCTION??? Yes, it is true, construction has been happening throughout the summer and we are nearing the finish line. As students, staff, and families enter the building they will most certainly see some residual finish work happening, but the safety and security aspects are complete. Some fantastic additions to our programming include: a state-of-the-art climbing wall in the middle school gymnasium, a completely renovated strength/conditioning room, and several science/technology/engineering/math (STEM) spaces. In addition, we’ve opened up our front entry, renovated our kitchen, and created an open concept from our library throughout the hallway system. This work is most certainly the facelift that we have been waiting for here in Nederland. Kudos to everyone involved who made this happen!

Beyond the new paint, flooring, and “stuff” I wanted to take this time to share with you how much more your little mountain school really is. Often times, when you work in a place every day, you start to assume that everyone knows what you know, and you forget to promote your amazing school. So, welcome to Nederland Middle-Senior High School, and thank you for entrusting our team to help prepare your children for their future.

Our “core” academic programming includes comprehensive general and advanced pathways. Critical to note is that both pathways are open to all students. Advanced classes offer a much closer look into what college rigor is, and ALL students are welcome to take them.

English/Language Arts: 6th - 12th grade programming. Advanced programming available 9th – 12th grade including; Advanced 9/10 ELA, Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition, and AP Literature and Composition.

Mathematics: 6th – 12th grade programming. Advanced programming available beginning in middle school with courses that include Advanced Algebra, Advanced Geometry, Advanced Algebra 2, Advanced Pre-Calculus, CU Succeed Concurrent Enrollment College Algebra/Trigonometry/College Calculus, and AP Calculus AB.

Social Studies: 6th – 12th grade programming. Advanced programming available beginning sophomore year including; AP Psychology, AP World History, and AP US History.

Science: 6th – 12th grade programming: Advanced programming available in 9th – 12th grade including; Advanced Physical Science, Advanced Biology, Advanced Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Environmental.

Electives are generally the courses that we offer beyond the core graduation requirements. Some electives are required while others are optional. Below is a comprehensive list of elective course offerings here in NED that are available along the 6th – 12th grade continuum. In other words, some electives are middle school specific while others are high school specific. All of our electives are designed to align from middle school through high school. Simply, if we offer it in middle school we offer more advanced forms of it in high school:

Band

Choir

Orchestra

Select Choir

PE/Health

Wt Training

Theater

Film Literature

Spanish (6-8)

Spanish 1,2,3

AP Spanish

Robotics

Design Tech

Engineering

Woodwork

Economics

Sociology

Bio Tech

Anatomy

Adv. Anatomy

Photography (middle/high)

AP Studio Art

AP Computer Science

In my next article I will share out our school-wide data for CMAS, PSAT8/9, PSAT 10, and the SAT. I will discuss the implications of the data, what we are doing to support struggling/advanced learners, and how you can help at home. Happy New Year!

(Originally published in the August 15, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)