Exeter-Milligan Update:5th and 6th Grade Girls Sing National Anthem

The 5th & 6th grade girls sang the National Anthem at the Exeter-Milligan v. Hampton basketball game on February 1. Participating were (L-R):  Anna Sluka, Josie Kresak, Kate Jansky, Kayla Geiger, Caitlin Murphy and Katherine White.

Exeter-Milligan Elementary Performs Spring Concert "Genres"

Exeter-Milligan Elementary students presented their Spring Concert “Genres” on Tuesday, March 26^th in Milligan.

The sixth grade band opened the concert with “The Star Spangled Banner” and then performed “BB Rock.”

Next, they were joined by the fifth grade class to play “Overture 1812” and “Young American March.”  They did an excellent job with both of these difficult pieces.

The fifth grade band played “Indigo Rock” and “Rockin’ Folk Medley.” Between sets, music director, Mrs. Angie Murphy presented several of the students ribbons from the Bruning-Davenport Band Contest.

The third and fourth graders took the spotlight playing “A BAG O’Tigers” on their recorders, adding in some tiger growls.  

 

All of the elementary students took the stage next as they sang together “Start Your Day With a Song.”  MicKael Halverstadt, Caitlin Murphy and Jacy Schlueter were the featured dancers during this number.

The Kindergarten, first and second graders then played a medley of genres of music including “Yankee Doodle,” and an traditional American Song, “The Old Gray Cat.” During “Bluebells,” an American jump-rope song, the students gave the audience several opportunities to stand when the month of their birth was sung.  It took the audience several tries to get it approved by the students.

This group also sang “All Around the Kitchen,” “Hush Little Baby,” “Goin’ To the Zoo,” and “A Beat in My Feet.”

The third and fourth grade took over the risers for their rendition of “Old Joe Clark,” before showing the audience how to sing “The Blues.”  The third and fourth grade also showed off their dance steps in “Movin’ to the Beat,” and “Chicken Rap.”

The fifth and sixth grade started their set with “Play That Music” before performing “Jazz.”  They also sang about “Ragtime” before singing the country tune “Music Is Always There.”  Square dancers for this number were James Becker, Macy Due, Kayla Geiger, MicKael Halverstadt, Caitlin Murphy, Jacy Schlueter, Anna Sluka and Blake Steuben.

For the final piece of the evening all the elementary classes joined together to sing “We’re Making Music,” with Katherine White playing the cowbell, Taylor Binker, Josie Kresak and Mitchell Manning playing scrapers.  Macy Due, Kate Jansky and Spencer Pribyl were using the shakers and Theron Odvody played the Agogo Bells.

Exeter-Milligan Students Hear Inspirational Speaker Jerry Traylor

Exeter-Milligan students heard an inspiring speech on the last Monday in March.  Jerry Traylor, a McCook native, shared the message of positive thinking that has made the difference in his life.

Born with cerebral palsy, Traylor endured 14 operations before he was 14 years old.  Despite wearing braces and crutches he shared a picture where he is still smiling as a young child, “I knew I was blessed because I could do things in my imperfections and I knew I was loved.”

His goal was to help the students see their strengths and use them.  “Don’t worry about what you lack, use what you’ve got,” was a big part of Traylor’s message.

Through the years, Traylor has refused to let his physical challenges limit him.  He once decided he could do a 2 mile run on crutches, and even though it took him longer than everyone else he decided to go further and try a marathon.

That marathon, according to Traylor, “Was the dumbest thing I ever did because I wasn’t prepared,” but he went on to do more, learning from his mistakes.

He encouraged the students to not listen to negative people and “to make plans rather than excuses. Become a participant rather than an observer.”

Not only did Traylor finish multiple marathons but he learned to not put a limit on his potential; he went on to climb Pike’s Peak.  About that experience he told the crowd, “If you know you can’t do something then you don’t know.  So many people choose to take the easy way out.”

He encouraged the students to take care of the physical bodies they were given and to make good choices about how they treat their bodies noting, “I was given Cerebral Palsy at birth. It kind of messes with me when people don’t care about their life.”

Traylor emphasized that choice in friendship is one of the most important areas of the students’ lives, “Pick people who have empowered you, the type who encourage you.  Walk the other way if people are telling you what you can’t do. Find people who believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself.  Popularity is not nearly as important as purpose.”

Traylor talked about his friendships when he talked about his next accomplishment, jogging (on crutches) from the Golden Gate bridge to the Brooklyn bridge.  He jogged for 18 miles a day with his friends supporting his effort.  Instead of telling him he couldn’t do it, “My friends asked how they could help me.”

Traylor used his disability as his platform, “I didn’t think these crutches and crooked legs would help,” but he found at several of the stops on his jog across America, it did make a difference.

In one town, they redid the biking trail, enlarging it to hold a wheelchair.  To Traylor, that was one of the highlights of the seven and a half month adventure.  

Traylor has written a book titled “Living Care Fully” about caring about people and is currently writing a second book titled “Live Aim Fully.”  He lives in Arizona and gives inspirational talks to students and professionals all over the nation.  Once every few years he travels to Nebraska and makes a special stop in Exeter to visit family (Cousin Roma Rhodes) and share his message with Exeter-Milligan students.

Death Notice: Del Jensen

(July 18, 1925 - March 21, 2013)
Services for Del Jensen will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cordova, Nebraska. Military Graveside services will be in the Exeter Cemetery. Visitation will begin Monday at 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with family greeting friends from 6 until 8 at the Farmer Funeral Home in Exeter. Memorials are directed to the Exeter American Legion Post #218 or the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cordova.

Exeter Cub Scouts Complete Woodworking Projects

Exeter Cub Scout Pack 218 had a wood project night with their dads.  Webelos Scout Jackson Beethe works on build a box with his dad, Mark Beethe.

Exeter Cub Scout Pack 218 had a wood project night with their dads.  Pictured with their finished projects are from the left Webelos Scouts Clint Oldehoeft, Blake Meyer, and Jackson Beethe.  Next are Bear Scouts Ben Bartu and on the end Braden Capek with their tool boxes.

Bear Cub Scout Braden Capek works with his dad, Roger Capek on a tool box.