What’s recently happened?
This past month was a chaotic one at New Prairie High School (NPHS). With the school year coming to a close and AP tests to study for, the student body has been very busy. The latest school play, the “Radium Girls,” was up and running to provide NPHS students and community members with a well-deserved break.
The play was student-directed by Senior Emily Chlebowski, who has done seven productions before this one in her four years at NPHS. After four months of preparation, the 34 members of the cast and crew put together a wonderful show detailing the struggles of dial painters in the mid-1920s.
The show was performed on April 24-26. The show follows Grace Fryer as she sues the dial painting company she used to work at for medical expenses related to her work with radium paint. While following Fryer in her efforts to sue the company, the show introduces the factory’s new owner, Arthur Roeder.
This performance not only brought awareness for the dial painters, but it also provided some entertainment for the students of NPHS. The plays and musicals put on by the high school theater department are well-attended by the students of NPHS and their families because of the hard work put in by the cast and crew.
“We had a great turnout and great reviews for our effort. We were able to show the audience our abilities in diving into a deeper story and doing a drama,” Chlebowski said.
What’s coming up?
It's well-known that June for high schools means graduation. On June 1, NPHS has the pleasure of sending the seniors off as they graduate.
It’s a bittersweet feeling for most of these seniors. Some of them feel excited, while others are a little nervous.
“I’m saddened to leave behind the memories, but excited for the new adventures I will embark on.” Chlebowski said.
The students are not the only ones with mixed feelings regarding graduation. Teachers also have to say farewell to students they have known for years. NPHS Head Librarian Amy Barnard really loves this graduating class.
“There are definitely students I will miss seeing every day, but I am full of hope and pride for our community,” Barnard said.
Barnard is looking forward to staying up-to-date on the future accomplishments of these students. The idea of running into old students and catching up with them in simple places like the grocery store makes saying goodbye a little easier.
During this transitional time in their lives, all of NPHS wishes its seniors the best.
Staff spotlight:
Amy Bernard is a media specialist and head librarian for the New Prairie United School Corporation (NPUSC). She has been working at NPHS for two years, and is also involved in the Dungeons & Dragons club at the high school. She attended Indiana University South Bend for her Bachelors of Science in Integrated New Media Studies with a minor in informatics. She would then attend Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis to get her master’s degree in Library and Information Science.
Her interest in libraries started with her job as a library shelver for the St. Joseph’s County Public Library and only grew as she learned more about her responsibilities. Her switch to becoming a high school librarian was motivated by her experiences with teens in the St. Joseph’s County Public Library, as well as her wish as a mother to young children to spend more time with them.
“I already knew I enjoyed working with teens from my time as a children’s librarian,” Barnard said.
Since joining the NPHS team, she has made a point of working closely with librarian staff across the NPUSC to further unite and strengthen them as they provide students with the materials they need. It is important for her to make sure the students remember that learning doesn’t stop once school lets out.
“Reading can be such a challenge for students, and I hope they can find something to read that brings them joy,” Barnard said.
Student spotlight:
Emily Chlebowski is the NPHS student director of the “Radium Girls" play. She not only spends evenings at the theater department, but also commits her time to Key Club, International Honor Society, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, choir, tennis, as well as helping out with audio visual effects for the auditorium.
Her experience with the play this year was incredibly influential in her experience as a student. Throughout production, she had to help the cast and crew overcome different challenges, which also allowed her to grow, while working to provide an amazing experience with everyone who spent time improving the show.
“The experience was harder than I thought it would be, because I felt responsible for everything and everyone. I always wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time and were able to have a memorable time with the production,” Chlebowski said.
Chlebowski’s favorite thing about student directing the play was pitching ideas in all aspects of production and getting the final say in decisions that were made. The NPHS Theater Department will miss her experience next year.
She will be attending Indiana University (IU) Bloomington to further her education in marketing, and she hopes to be involved in the theater department there. She intends to either have a minor in theater or to help out however she can with the school productions.
