• NTHS Principal's Message - Mr. James Fisher
     

    Welcome to North Tonawanda High School!  My vision for NTHS is to provide a holistic educational experience that attends to the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of our students.  I have a few general, but very important goals that I expect all of our students to adopt as their own: 

    • Each student should strive to achieve his or her individual potential as a learner.
    • Each student should seek to leave NTHS with the skills and character necessary to find success in their endeavors beyond graduation.
    • All students should maximize their high school experience by cementing friendships, participating in a variety of activities, creating life-long memories, and having fun during the next four years.

    It is my hope that you will be impressed, inspired and motivated by the quantity and quality of educational opportunities that we have to offer at NTHS.  Some of those opportunities include:

    • 4 small learning communities or career-themed Academies- Academy of Finance, Academy of International Studies, Academy of Architecture & Engineering, and Academy of Information Technology.  These career-themed academies are unique because they:
      • Give more students a sense of academic purpose and motivate them toward reaching their potential.
      • Promote a healthy level of academic competition amongst our students that will move them toward excellence.
      • Promote interdisciplinary collaboration and initiatives amongst faculty and staff.
      •  Make the 4 year high school experience seem less of an exercise in meeting standards and passing state exams and more of an experience that prepares students for their lives after high school.
    • 12 advanced placement courses in the Art, English, Math, Science and Social Studies departments.
    • 10 courses in various departments with articulation agreements leading to college credit at NU, Medaille, NCCC, SUNY
    • Unique courses of study including German amongst the more traditional foreign language offerings of Spanish & French;  extensive vocal and instrumental music program; comprehensive science curriculum including courses in Anatomy & Physiology, and Botany (with our own greenhouse and outdoor garden). 

    It is my hope that students take full advantage of the courses, educational programs, extracurricular activities, and support services that are available to students at NTHS.  Some of those include:

    • 35 clubs/activities including Outdoor Awareness, Drama, Science Olympiad, Lumberjazz Dance Team, Technology and Telecommunications clubs, Peer Leadership, Model UN, Animal Club, and many more.
    • BCFS initiative- Building Character for Success programs and assemblies that help our 9th grade students successfully transition to the high school.
    • a wide variety of interscholastic sports

    The high school years are a critical period of time during which the foundation of future success is laid.  It is also a time period during which students learn much about themselves and the results of their own decisions.  I offer two guiding questions that I ask our students to continually reflect upon throughout their high school journey:
    • “What have I done today that will support the achievement of my goals?”
    • “Does my current behavior, attitude, and level of effort support or detract from the achievement of my goals?”

    Each student is expected to do their part to carry on and to enhance the wonderful traditions of NTHS.  I also expect each student to embrace the commitment to academic excellence that is part of the spirit of North Tonawanda High School.  I wish each of you a successfully school year!  Go Jacks!