What’s recently happened?
Crown Point High School’s National Art Honor Society (NHS) held a Bob Ross paint along. Students and members of the community got together in the high school’s cafeteria and followed one of Bob Ross’ painting tutorials together.
“The overall experience was fun because it gave families something to do together in the evening besides watching TV. I didn’t know who else would be there and it was great to see young kids and teenagers with their moms, dads, and grandparents. Painting a Bob Ross scene is a pleasure because Bob Ross makes it easy for anyone to produce an artwork. The tables were set up with everything a participant needed,” Linda Kay, a member of the community, said.
The event brought so many people together. Different people with different backgrounds came together to create something. Events like this one remind people about the importance of community and how we can come together and create something beautiful.
What’s coming up?
Crown Point High School’s NHS is ready to invite new members. Each year the club sends out applications to students whose grades qualify them to be invited. After receiving invitations, students must apply to join. The club is sponsored by Crown Point’s Angela Taraskiewicz and Dr. Katelyn Kreis.
“There was a need for new sponsors for NHS right after me and Dr. Kreis started working at the high school, and it was just a great opportunity to work with a very talented portion of the Crown Point High School population. There’s a tremendous amount of good that group has been able to accomplish, so it was a great opportunity and we really enjoyed working with multiple classes on different projects,” Taraskiewicz said.
A lot of people underestimate the standing of NHS. The club, founded in 1921, now has been established all across the world and now has over 1 million members.
“Students should join NHS because of the size of the organization. The impact of the service that we do is really massive. We had a representative from the Northwest Indiana Food bank come in February and thank us for the fundraising that we did to support that organization. That started out in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic when it was very hard for anybody to do anything. We did online fundraising because we couldn’t do anything in person, but that has led to an ongoing relationship with the food bank. We have been able to do a lot of good for people in the Region who struggle with food and security,” Taraskiewicz said.
NHS students join in hopes of strengthening the bonds they have with each other and with the community. One of the biggest ways they do this is through community service and opportunities for students to volunteer.
“We have two really big events in the fall. There's an angel tree where we get a lot of gifts together for needy children within the Crown Point area, and along with that, we have the food bank project. In the spring, when we induct new members and graduate leaving members, we see how much they have accomplished in that period,. It’s very inspiring to see,” Taraskiewicz said.
Another aspect that NHS focuses on is creativity. Students should be innovative and are encouraged to speak up and let their ideas be heard.
“The projects come from students, not from us, so anything students want to do, we try to help make it happen. It’s great to work with people who have big ideas and are dedicated to accomplishing those things. Every group comes with its own set of ideas. I know a lot of those students because I teach Latin 1 and 2, and they’re a great group. Every group has a slightly different makeup and different things that they want to pursue, so it’s hard to know what ideas the next class is going to have but I already know that it’s a great group of kids, and it’s definitely worth the process of the application,” Taraskiewicz said.
Clubs like NHS exist to give students the tools and skills they need when they leave high school. It teaches them values that will help them build bonds with people in their future.
“NHS membership is something that always looks really good when you apply to colleges because it’s service based, you don’t have to do it. Your grades get you in, but that is not enough to show that you have had a leadership role in other areas, and that you are interested in serving outside of things that will specifically benefit you. A lot of colleges look for that now,” Taraskiewicz said.
Staff spotlight:
Kreis is an English teacher and also a co-sponsor for NHS.
“I teach Dual Credit Advanced Composition and Dual Credit World Literature. When I was an
undergrad, I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but I did not necessarily know what I wanted to teach. I actually started out as a Spanish major and as I was going through my freshman year and taking all those classes, I realized that I love reading and I love writing. I had a professor in college that was really influential in that, and she did a nice job of helping me figure out that I wanted to be an English teacher,” Kreis said.
Pursuing a career in teaching wasn’t Kreis' only goal. Even while teaching, she received a doctorate in education. Her specific doctorate focused on Multicultural Pedagogy and Global Literacy, topics that aid in the overall comfort of students in and outside of the classroom. Multicultural Pedagogy is changing the school environment so it better reflects the diverse cultures and groups of students, making them feel seen.
“Getting my doctorate was awesome. I did a cohort model, so I went through my program with the same group of people and there was a large component of research and writing. I had to actually write a dissertation, so I have a published almost 200 page book that I had to write, but it was the most amazing experience I could have ever had because I met some very well-educated people and they have become my lifelong friends,” Kreis said.
While a doctorate in education would seem like a path only teachers would take, Kreis was only one among a few teachers.
“A lot of them were businessmen, nurses, there was somebody who was in the United States Air Force, and it was a lot of work but it is one of the most amazing experiences with regards to education,” Kreis said.
The people who teach us build our character. We learn from them, about different subjects and even about ourselves.
“I was teaching AP Literature at the time, and I was in a masters program at Valpo. I had a professor as I was going through that program who pretty much said to me, ‘You’re going to get your doctorate.’ She pretty much told me that I had a lot of potential, and she thought I should go and do that. I always thought that I wanted to get it; part of my teaching philosophy is that if I am going to ask my students to be lifelong learners, I should also be a lifelong learner. I love school. It’s one of the reasons I am a teacher; I love learning, I love being in a school community and discussing, reading, writing, and all that kind of stuff. I always knew that I wanted to be a lifelong learner, and that was just the next step on my path, and a goal I always had for myself,” Kreis said.
Senior Alli Bajmakovich has always enjoyed having Kreis as a teacher.
“I had Dr. Kreis for Advanced Composition,” Bajmakovich said. “I loved her class, I’ve always been a really good writer. To be a better writer, I had to get into the subject I was writing about, and she made every topic so much more bearable. I love the way she teaches - she is so ecstatic when she teaches and I just think that a teacher being that positive throughout the day can brighten your mood no matter what. I think she really knows how to connect with her students, and she tries her best to make sure everyone understands what they’re doing. She is very understanding, and she is like a second mom to me.”
Bajmakovich is just one of many students that has been positively impacted by Kreis and NHS.
“I get to work with some really amazing students, and I get to work with Mrs. Taraskiewicz who is pretty awesome, too. This is my third year here sponsoring NHS. My favorite part about NHS is getting to work with the kids. We get to work with some amazing students and get to see them fulfill their potential. It’s really heartwarming to see students give back to their community and be able to make an impact on people just through their volunteerism,” Kreis said.
For the past three years, Kreis has worked to make school a better place. Through making bonds with her students, to helping run a global organization, Kreis has become a staple of what makes a good teacher.
“I love Crown Point High School. The students and the staff are amazing, and I get to work with awesome young people and be a part of a community here at Crown Point. The staff here is wonderful, and the support that we have from administration is profound. I get to do what I love every single day which is really cool,” Kreis said.
Student Spotlight
Amani Aman is a junior at Crown Point High School and is currently on the yearbook’s staff and a student director of NHS.
“I really like NHS. I love how, as a director, me and the other directors can run meetings which really improve my communication and public speaking skills. Another thing I like about NHS is the service opportunities and being able to think of those,” Aman said,
Part of being a student director for NHS is coming up with service opportunities that reflect Aman’s own and the student body’s values. It is a position that requires a careful mix of creativity and sensitivity.
Showing promise in Yearbook has earned Aman a leadership position next year, a responsibility she will have along with being an NHS student director.
“Being a part of the 'Excalibur' yearbook staff has been really nice, I’ve made a lot of really good friends, and I really enjoy being able to express myself with different aspects of the yearbook. I’m really excited to be an editor next year. I know it will be a little bit of a challenge, but I’m really excited,” Aman said.
These two positions are helping Aman build leadership skills that will aid her in the future. Crown Point High School wishes her luck on the rest of her high school journey and all her future endeavors.