Exeter-Milligan School board meets

 Fourteen guests attended the Exeter-Milligan school board meeting on Monday, March 18 with the majority of those staff members or spouses of board members.  Two students also attended the meeting.

The board moved through the consensus agenda and there was no policy review or curriculum report scheduled. Superintendent Paul Sheffield quickly reviewed the consolidation packet that was presented in all four of the special meetings held jointly with the Friend school board.

There were no takers when the board opened the floor for public comment.

Moving on to a discussion of the possible consolidation, Sheffield remarked that he and Friend Superintendent Derek Anderson would submit the consolidation application this summer as there are a number of steps to the process of forming a new district.

Sheffield also reported on building projects updates in Exeter including the HVAC work that is planned for this summer.  He also informed the board he has continued to work with DLR (an architecture and design firm) to “maximize the space we have if we have K-5 here.”

The district would need to add an additional classroom for each grade level.  One plan called for an addition of two new classrooms but with a price tag of $3.8 million that option was eliminated.

Currently Sheffield explained that the plan is to divide the fitness center into two kindergarten classrooms and move the fitness center and the community classroom to the current shop space.  They would also divide the small gym and create two fifth grade classrooms.

The current elementary library would become the teacher workroom as it is not handicap accessible and the current kindergarten room would be the new elementary library.

Sheffield explained that “Construction costs are high right now.  Any time you add on you have to add on a storm shelter.  Since we aren’t adding any square footage we wouldn’t have to do that.  We have the flexibility in the building fund we could fund it ourselves with what we have.”

The board made no comment on the design options and moved on to discuss teacher contracts.  Kelly Rischling accepted a contract to teach first grade next year and Sandi Snyder accepted a one year contract to teach high school math.

The board accepted the resignation of first grade teacher Haley Johnson and speech therapist Kara Myers. They also approved the principal contract.

Sheffield gave a brief rundown on finalizing the purchase agreement with the village of Milligan for the Milligan building. No dollar amount from the EM building fund has been set yet.  The final contract will be ready for the April meeting.

The board also approved an agreement with DLR to assist in the remodeling and redesign of the Exeter elementary to accommodate more classroom space.

Board President Adam Erdkamp took a moment to speak about recent newspaper articles published in the Nebraska Signal. He went on to note that the writer had not attended any of the recent special meetings or board meetings. Erdkamp reiterated his support for Sheffield and the EM staff.

Next meeting was set for April 8 at Milligan at 8 p.m.

Family Art Night: Under the Sea

Creating an aquarium, folding an origami whale and fishing for prizes were just part of the fun at Family Art Night at Exeter-Milligan on Tuesday, March 19.

The event is produced, directed and sponsored by the art department with preparation starting in January.  The department, under the tutelage of art teacher Lisa Kanode, throws out ideas for the annual event and then a theme is chosen by the high school art students vote.

Kanode introduced the event in 2015 and it has grown in attendance each year since.  Kanode explained, “Family art night is a special event that many can benefit from.  Starting with the volunteers and helpers as they get an opportunity to teach and interact with kids.  Families benefit as they have the opportunity to spend quality time with their kiddos in an unique way.”

The event not only introduces different art mediums to the younger students, but it also gives the 6^th -12^th graders enrolled in Kanode’s art classes the chance to interact and teach.  Since all of the family is encouraged to attend and this gives the students running each booth the opportunity to interact with all ages. The art students are vital in planning and designing each station for the event.

Kanode has seen a direct impact in the art department in the student body, “I definitely see a growing interest in art, even in just helping out with family art night." 

“It’s very student driven.  It benefits those who might want to go into education.  The students are sometimes nervous but I think they do fine. They get to pick what station they are going to do and then figure out what they need for each station. I give them some direction and let them run with it,” Kanode added.

 

This year there were 10 stations including an origami station, paper design, build your own jellyfish, photo booth, computer animated station, sailboat snack station, make your own aquarium, fishing and of course, face painting.

"I think we worked harder on this particular art night than on any other year," Kanode said, "I had one student comment that you don't realize how much work goes into this until you are involved."

 Kanode was most pleased with the results of the aquarium.  The participants started with a clear clamshell food container and then glued sand, rocks and created their own paper coral and fish to put inside.

In addition to the activities, there was also an art show of all of the projects the Exeter-Milligan students have created throughout the year.  In the commons area, the book fair was set up so families could take a break in the art action.

 

Throwback Thursday 3/23/2014

 

03/23/2014

Exeter-Milligan Senior Logan Zeleny signed with Central Community College on Wednesday, March 26th.  Zeleny will play catcher this fall as the Columbus catcher.

The Applied Science class has been studying Siege Machines and each student has built model catapults.   By varying the projectile size and tension used to power the catapult, they investigated how far the projectile traveled.   They also made trebuchets, shown in the picture.   They calculated how much mass they need in order for the projectile to hit a wall that was placed a set distance away.

Exeter-Milligan students were invited to select their artwork to compete in the Exeter GFWC Woman's Club Art competition.  The winners of this competition were taken to the district GFWC competition in Seward.  
GFWC DISTRICT IV 2014 FINE ART WINNERS
Second Grade Savana Krupicka 1st Place
Seventh Grade Peytan Brandt 1st Place
Eight Grade Katie Moody 1st Place
Ninth Grade Sydney Hall 1st Place - Pen-Ink
Trystan Brandt 1st Place - Photography
Eleventh Grade Jordyn Brandt 1st Place - Pastel
Jordyn Brandt 1st Place - Water Color & BEST OF SHOW
Felix Richter 1st Place - Digital Art

Congratulations to these Timberwolves who were recognized on the CRC All Conference Selections.
Girls First Team All-Conference:
Logan Zeleny
Honorable Mention:
Amber Pribyl
Boys First Team All-Conference:
Nolan White
James Sluka
Derek Luzum
Honorable Mention:
Kyle Jensen

Exeter-Milligan Update: Happy Birthday, Nebraska!!!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Nebraska!!!!

By Shelli Mueller, Exeter-Milligan 4th Grade Instructor

 

Exeter-Milligan fourth graders celebrated Nebraska’s 157th birthday. We had ice cream and Capri suns. It was so nice that we were also able to enjoy the Nebraska sunshine for an extra recess in the afternoon. The students thought we should celebrate Nebraska’s birthday every day. 

 

Pictured are:

Front: Jaxon Case

Middle: Wesley Hopkins, William Lock, Layne Zelenka, Easton Schlegelmilch, Kenan Petersen, and Knox Becker

Back: Reed Wince, Maizy Ogren, and Avery Hankins