New Prairie High School (NPHS) had a very eventful October, with many sporting events and club activities, however, one event stood out among the rest. On October 27, NPHS hosted the third annual community blood drive. The blood drive was organized by the South Bend Medical Foundation (SBMF).
For the past three years, SBMF has brought its bloodmobile and its kind team to NPHS to give an opportunity to staff, students, and community members to donate blood. This was a great opportunity for regular donors to make an easily accessible appointment and for first-time donors who were unsure where to start their journey.
To donate blood, a person must be at least 16 years old with proper paperwork filled out prior, match weight requirements, and pass a few health and safety check questions. Before donating blood, it is crucial to drink plenty of water and eat a healthy and balanced meal. With the gracious donation of breakfast from The Diner in New Carlisle, donors were granted a free meal the morning of donating.
While the event was for a life-saving cause, it also served the great purpose of being a fundraiser for NPHS HOSA. The sponsor for HOSA, Science Teacher Tonya Aerts, has been donating blood for the past 30 years and does not regret anything.
“Why not donate? It is an easy way to help the community and possibly save lives. My 20 minutes of donation can save up to three lives of someone who may be in an accident or having surgery. I feel it is time well spent.” said Aerts.
Donating blood takes less than half an hour, and each donation can save three people’s lives, so it is highly encouraged to look into the nearest donation center and book an appointment.
What’s coming up?
One of the most active clubs at NPHS is the Art Club. Despite having a busy schedule of helping design sets for all of NPHS’s theatre productions as well as decorating the school with beautiful murals in different departments, the Art Club also hosts a few activities for the community.
Coming up in December is a new event, but not a new idea. Last year, the Art Club introduced a fun activity called Cookie and Canvas that invited people in the community of New Carlisle and New Prairie (NP) to paint a canvas while enjoying a sweet treat. This year, the Art Club is hosting Christmas Crafts, an event where children have an opportunity to decorate many different holiday crafts while drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies.
Junior Emily Chlebowski has been a part of the Art Club all three years of her high school experience but has also been President for the past two years and is very excited about this new idea for this year.
“The idea isn’t new but I am excited that this year we can focus on the kids and their enjoyment of making something cute and fun for the holiday season,” said Chlebowski.
Christmas Crafts is on December 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) and costs $20 to participate. All proceeds go to NPHS Art Club which will help fund new supplies but will also go towards their fund to go on art museum field trips in the future.
Staff spotlight:
Angie Medors has not been a teacher for very long, but she has made a lasting impact on her students. After completing Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program, Medors earned her teaching license. Coming from a small town similar to New Carlisle, Medors felt a familiar community moving into the New Prairie (NP) school district.
“The bonds of students, families, community members, and businesses create a dynamic where we are all rooting for each other; we are all invested in the success of every student that walks through these schools. It is rewarding in so many ways,” said Medors
Now having been teaching for three years, two of which being at NP, Medors has gained wisdom in the classroom and accumulated a lot of experience. NP is home to many traditions so Medors getting to live through those experiences was a special memory.
“I was blown away by the ‘breakfast tailgate’ on the last day of school last spring. The tractors, the trucks, old cars, food, games – it was such a fun way to celebrate the end of a great year. I'm already looking forward to this tradition again.” said Medors.
Medors teaches ninth and 10th grade English, but her participation in the NPHS community doesn’t stop at the classroom. Not only is Medors the sponsor of NPHS’s Student Senate, the student government organization, she is also the sponsor of NPHS’s Key Club. Key Club is a nationwide organization that focuses on high schoolers’ involvement with their school and giving back to the community.
Recently, Key Club has orchestrated a food drive throughout NPHS, making a friendly competition between every first-period class. Although the prize is appealing, the real reward is giving resources and food to families that don’t have the opportunity to buy food, especially during this holiday season.
“Any activity that gets students to think of others and show kindness fills my heart with joy. With the food drive, we see generosity and compassion which shows how much our students care for others and their community,” said Medors.
Even though the food drive has come to an end, Medors still has many activities she is helping with and NPHS can’t wait to see what she is putting together next.
Student spotlight:
Olivia Ruiz is a senior at NPHS and holds an impressive resume from the past four years. Ruiz is the student body president, a member of National Honor Society (NHS) and International Honor Society, and manager of the swim team.
Outside of school, Ruiz is dedicated to volunteering at a local nursing home at least once a week. Ruiz is also a part of Adolescent Community Engagement , a council that strives to help the community of La Porte County.
“In NHS, all members are required to volunteer at least 20 hours in the community, and although I get my hours done early, playing bingo and bonding with the people in the nursing home is different. It feels like my own kind of niche,” said Ruiz.
Recently, Ruiz was named a finalist for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. This scholarship grants a full-tuition grant to any in-state public or private college. This is a very prestigious scholarship that only two students are awarded from La Porte County. Ruiz is the only student chosen from NPHS as a finalist, and her school and community could not be more proud.
“Being a finalist means more than I could put into words, I am extremely grateful to be considered for this scholarship, and earning it would mean so much to me as well as my family,” said Ruiz.
School and community are important to Ruiz, but her family and her friends are also very important to her.
“I wouldn’t be who I am today without the people around me supporting me and loving me,” said Ruiz.
While Ruiz’s high school career is coming to an end, her life is just starting and her community cannot wait to see where it takes her.