Friday, October 11, 2019

Exeter-Milligan Update: Outdoor Ed Day

  pictured are Daisy Kanode (red sweatshirt), Natalie Staskal, and Dylan Bonds helping 2nd graders Lillian Koehler and Crosby Oldehoeft with Piper Grummons and Liam Capek in the background
Back row (L-R): Georgia Meyer, Anna Sluka, Daisy Kanode, Cammie Harrison, Natalie Staskal, Joana Melchert, Nick Hayek, and Dylan Bonds
Front row (L-R): Piper Grummons, Lillian Koehler, Lynn Jurgensen, Gracelyn Becker, Archer Kanode, Crosby Oldehoeft, Liam Capek, and Axel Erdkamp



Science at the Park
By Marla Weber (2nd grade instructor) and Lorie Sliefert (7-12 Science Instructor)

The Exeter-Milligan second grade has been studying about plants, animals and the interactions of living things. Outdoor Education Day, a special day designed to culminate this unit, provided these students with a multitude of activities, experiments, and presentations about nature. Exeter’s Gilbert Park served as the learning station on Friday, September 27. EM high school Biology II students presented the teacher-designed centers. The high school students had developed ideas from topics and packets shared with them a week prior to the event. Having high school students lead the centers for the elementary students has many benefits. By using this format, elementary students receive more time for individualized learning as they rotated between the centers. Direct interaction between students promoted active learning. High school students also reinforced their own learning by instructing others. Centers for Outdoor Ed. Day included Rain, Insects, Tracks, Trees, Birds, Wind, Water Cycle, Senses and other nature related topics. Each center had been designed to incorporate hands-on learning activities. Several nature-related games were played throughout the day, including Bat and Moth, Hug-a-Tree, and a scavenger hunt. Take-home projects, including ocean in a bottle and rain sticks, were created at centers which remind students of what they learned. To help hold students accountable for their learning, second graders journaled after each center; listing new words introduced, new facts and a quick sketch of what they experienced in that session. High school students were evaluated on the presentations they shared.


Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Exeter-Milligan update: Social Studies Synopsis








Social Studies Synopsis
By Brian Murphy, Exeter-Milligan Social Studies Instructor

A variety of subjects are being discussed in Mr. Brian Murphy's social science classes. In eighth grade history, students are diving into the American Revolutionary War. Freshmen in Geography started out the year by learning Nebraska Geography and using several different technology tools. American History has revisited Westward Expansion and immigration in the United States during the 1800s. Finally, in Post World War II History (Modern History) we have discussed two main topics this semester: the early Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement. Social science classes have evolved greatly. General knowledge of events is still important. However, critical thinking skills and utilizing technology are being emphasized more than ever before in my teaching of social studies.



Cade Kresak and Daysan Staskal watching their Ozobot tour route through Nebraska.



Clockwise from bottom left:  Morgan White, Jozie Kanode, Olivea Swanson, and Jasmine Turrubiates drawing the code for their Ozobot trip across Nebraska.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Exeter-Milligan Update: Grandparent's Day

First Grade News at Exeter-Milligan
By Sara Lincoln, First Grade Instructor

First Grade had their annual Grandparents Day in September.  The students used their iPads to start the afternoon.  They had to scan a QR code that took them to a question they had to ask their Grandparents.  The students enjoyed sharing their skills with technology with their Grandparents. After they finished their iPad activity they played Head Bands.  The students and Grandparents had to give clues to each other to figure out what the word was on the card.  The remainder of the afternoon was spent coloring, asking questions and spending quality time with each other.  We had a great turn out and the kids loved seeing their Grandparents.  Thank you to everyone who was able to make it. 


Bottom picture is Braxton Harre with his great-grandparents Gary and Lois Pribyl.

 Top picture is Brooklyn Lawson showing her grandmothers how to scan QR codes with her iPad for the scavenger hunt.