Posted April 20, 2023
Welcome to Northfield, Class of 2027! Below, future Northfield Nighthawks will find a wealth of information and materials to help guide them through course selection for the 23/24 school year.
Ninth Grade Academy: To assist in the transition from middle school to a successful high school experience, Northfield will host a Ninth Grade Academy (NGA) for incoming Class of 2027 Freshmen. This exciting, fun, and informative program will last four days, Monday, July 31 – Thursday, Aug. 3, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Northfield. All of Northfield’s incoming ninth grade students are encouraged to attend.
What is NGA?
Ninth Grade Academy is a four day experience prior to the school year for freshmen to meet their peers and Northfield staff, discuss necessary information about high school, and get a feel for things before school starts. NGA activities include:
Why should my student attend NGA?
Studies show students who participate in NGA improve their academic performance, have a stronger attachment to their high school and their peer groups, and are more likely to graduate from high school. Along with this, students will also earn 2.5 elective credits for completing NGA and receive Northfield swag.
How do I sign my student up for NGA?
We are thrilled to already have many students registered for Ninth Grade Academy at Northfield! If you have already registered, you do not need to resubmit a registration form. However, if you have not yet registered, you can sign up via https://tinyurl.com/NorthfieldNGA23.
I have questions about NGA. Who should I contact?
We have created an Ninth Grade Academy FAQ document to answer the most frequent questions we receive. Please review this document prior to reaching out to Northfield’s NGA Site Director, Treyce Glidden. We look forward to seeing you at Northfield High School’s Ninth Grade Academy!
2023-24 Course Catalog: This catalog includes courses Northfield High School hopes to offer next year, including core areas of study (English, Math, Science and Social Studies), IB and AP, Electives and more. All course offerings are contingent upon requests and staffing. Course selection is due by 5 p.m. on Friday, 5/5.
Graduation Requirements: Denver Public Schools requires a minimum of 24 units of coursework to graduate from high school. At Northfield, we also require two units of World Language for graduation and 30 hours of community service.
Optional Northfield Placement Testing
Math: All incoming Class of 2027 Nighthawks are placed into Math 1, the DPS district default math class for freshmen. Any student who wishes to be placed into a higher math class is required to take and pass a Northfield course placement assessment, as well as meet the criteria for such placement.
World Language: The same is true for World Language at Northfield. All incoming freshmen, who are non-native speakers, are by default placed into a World Language 1 course; some students may be placed into a World Language 2 course depending on placement test results. Placement is consistent with the length of time and success of a student’s middle school world language experience. Students who wish to be placed into a level higher than level 1, as a freshman, must complete the Northfield placement exam, and meet the criteria for such placement.
Placement Testing Dates:
There is no formal sign-up to complete placement tests; students simply arrive on campus at one of the specified dates/times listed below. Math placement tests are administered in the Northfield Cafeteria located in Bldg. 1. World Language placement tests are taken in classrooms located within Bldg 5; students should meet in the lobby of Bldg. 5 prior to the start of a World Language placement test. All current DPS students taking a World Language placement test must bring their district-issued Chromebook with them; Chromebooks will be provided for all new DPS students.
Note: Incoming freshmen who wish to complete the optional World Language placement test and have a DPS-issued Chromebook, please do the following before arriving at Northfield on testing day:
Course Selection Pick Sheet: A list of courses Northfield hopes to offer for the 23/24 school year. Any student who does not select courses prior to the course selection deadline will have courses selected for them by Northfield’s Counseling team based upon graduation requirement needs. All course selections must be made by Friday, 5/5, at 3 p.m.
Course Selection Google Form: Use this Google Form to indicate your course requests for the 23/24 school year. Elective choices are based on availability; Northfield requires two alternate options in case a first choice of elective does not have room or is not offered. Note: ONLY STUDENTS, via their @dpsk12.net accounts, can submit Course Selection forms; they are not available for outside email addresses or parents/guardians to complete. Course Selection is now closed for incoming freshmen.
First Day of 2023-24 School Year: Dependent upon DPS’s approval, Northfield’s anticipated start date for incoming freshmen is Tuesday, 8/14, and Thursday, 8/16, for all other students. The purpose of this staggered start is to allow new students to get acquainted with the Northfield campus. Future communications detailing the 2023-24 Northfield school calendar will be shared in the coming weeks.
Northfield High School Opt-Out: If your student will not attend Northfield for the 2023-24 school year, please let us know as soon as possible by completing this opt-out form, so we may offer waitlist spots to other DPS students. If you have already done so, please disregard this communication and any that follow; unfortunately, the systems that DPS uses for disenrolling and for communicating with new families are not fully compatible.
Northfield Ninth Grade Academy: Please be on the lookout for future communications announcing Northfield’s Ninth Grade Academy happening this summer. The academy offers all “New to Northfield” students the opportunity to learn about Northfield and engage in school readiness activities. This is an optional program but is highly recommended.
Helpful Resources
4/25 Welcome Letter
4/27 Reminder Communication
5/5 Course Selection Deadline Reminder Communication
Pre-recorded video detailing course selection
2023 Welcome Night Presentation
2023-24 Northfield Bell Schedule
Anticipated 2023-24 School Year Calendar
Northfield Counseling
2023-24 Northfield Athletics Interest Form
Northfield Family Communications
Northfield Spirit Wear Store
For questions, please utilize Northfield’s questions form.