Exeter-Milligan Update: Underwater Art Adventure

 Family Art Night: Underwater Art Adventure

By: Lisa Kanode Date:

Many families in our communities come out yearly and enjoy a night of creating art with family. This event is an activity that HS art students organize every March in recognition of Youth Arts Month. Family Art Night is quickly becoming a beloved tradition in our community, offering a space where parents and children alike can unleash their creativity and forge lasting memories.

 

Held on Tuesday, March 19 from 6:30-8:00 in the EM High School gym, Family Art Night transforms the traditional sports gymnasium into a vibrant hub of activity. Upon entering, families are greeted with a kaleidoscope of colors and a medley of artistic supplies. The atmosphere is charged with excitement as the kids eagerly explore the possibilities before them.

 

The activities offered at Family Art Night are suggested by art students in my 6th-12th grades and then organized into a well-rounded event. We start with a theme to go off of so every year has been different. The students help get their activities ready for the night and offer directions for the families as they arrive while fostering a supportive environment where creativity can flourish.

 

This year's theme was "Underwater Art Adventure" So naturally we wanted the kids to have an ocean-like experience. One of my classes decided they would build a paper mache shark which led to 6th and 8th graders building 3D sea creatures that could also hang with the shark. A wire was stretched between the basketball hoops and volleyball standard to hang these creatures. The families then could navigate through the stations while being "underwater".

 

Among the most popular stations included face painting, aquariums made with rock, sand, and pipe cleaners, suncatcher jellyfish and marbleized seashells. The photo booth area had a submarine, shark cut out and Ariel and Flounder along with a coral reef that featured the 1st grade coral sculptures that were made from wire and nylon and painted in bright colors. The kids also had projects on display, which included snorkeling self portraits by the 2nd grade and flip a clip animations by the 3rd grade. These are just some of the wonderful things that the families experienced at this years E-M Family Art Night, "Underwater Art Adventures".

 

Indeed, the impact of Family Art Night extends well beyond the confines of the gymnasium walls. Research has shown that engaging in artistic activities as a family can strengthen bonds, boost self-esteem, and improve communication skills. Moreover, the benefits of creative expression extend to mental health, providing a therapeutic outlet for stress and anxiety.

 

After all, as Picasso once said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

 

 Kaylynn Harding helping Laura Kroll and her granddaughter Anna with a project.

 

Cora Foutch and Charlie Vejraska pose as Flounder and Ariel

 Kyler Oldehoeft and Bowen Brandt “fishing” at Family Art Night

Breckan Schluter signs with Hastings College

 When you are the top running back in the state you are bound to get offers to play in college, but for Breckan Schluter the decision to sign at Hastings College wasn’t too difficult.

Schluter clocked 3155 yards this year with a career total of 7408.  He ended as the fifth highest career rushing yards in state history.

He is taking those records to Hastings where he will join the Broncos as a running back.  He did a game day visit in October and went on a lot of football visits this fall leaving his options open.

When he went back for an official visit he claims he just had a “gut feeling” it was a good fit for him.

Head Coach Matt Franzen also coached Schluter’s older brother Kyle Jensen (an Exeter-Milligan graduate) when Franzen was head coach at Doane so Schluter was familiar with him.  Franzen got a call from the Sandy Creek coaching staff the day after they played EMF and was told “you have to do everything you can to get this guy. That put the EMF team on the top of our radar.”

A few things stood out to Schluter at Hastings.  First, he saw underclassmen playing and second the Broncos are “on the upward trajectory. I believe in Coach Franzen and I felt like it was the right time to jump on that ship.”

Schluter also noted that their starting running back was graduating and felt like he could “fit into a role there and win the next four years.”

This season Schluter felt like their team was overlooked by everyone outside of the EMF communities. He had a great time through the playoffs and the feeling after winning the games and “doing it all with my best friends.  The memories with those guys will be there forever.”

For Schluter the key moment that stands out to him was “when Tyler (Due) took a knee at Crofton. The feeling was indescribable. . .having a goal and it being so far fetched.  We knew we could do it.”

Coach Kory Kahlandt sees Schluter “having a really good career at Hastings. Usually they are limited in playing time as freshman but I hope he can use those moments to show what he can do.”

The coaching staff at EMF depended on the senior for leadership in games and at practice.  “He led by example through and through. The effort that he put in and his ‘want to’ elevated the team.  He just elevated the whole team by showing what he could do and how he practiced.”

Schluter made some of their coaching easier.  “We would call a play and have a whole offensive series planned and Breckan would break six tackles and score a touchdown. We took that for granted, he was a special player to coach and a great kid.”

Kahlandt talked about how driven Schluter was and how he was so focused on the next game that they had to remind him to celebrate sometimes.  “I had to stop and make him realize how special this season was.”

EMF Co-Head Coach Jim Pfeiffer echoed Kahlandt’s thoughts on both Schluter and teammate Draven Payne, “They were leaders in our program and through their hardwork they were able to raise the level of play for our entire team.  Their ability to be willing to meet every challenge head on, the not being afraid to work hard to reach a goal, and their coachability prepares them well for the next level.”

“I enjoyed the heck out of their never give up, mental and physical toughness, as well as their ability to have fun with the game.  Hastings College with Coach Franzen leading the Broncos is a program on the rise and Breckan and Draven are two kids who can become leaders like they were for us at EMF.”

Schluter plans to pursue a degree in Business at Hastings.