Throwback Thursday: 11/10/2013

 

11/10/2013

 

Kara Myers' Shining Stars reading group at Exeter-Milligan is super bright! Each day these stars come out and shine their way through reading words and learning decoding skills to enable them to read stories and answer comprehension questions. One focus this year for the Stars is learning to read high frequency words quickly and accurately. They pair up with another “Star” and read as many high frequency words as they can in 1 minute. They have two chances each day to better their time. Each time their goal is achieved, they get to color in a star. We almost have a whole solar system colored in already! 

 

Exeter-Milligan schools upheld the tradition of recognizing and honoring Veteran’s on Veteran’s Day on Monday morning, November 11.

 

Exeter-Milligan Senior Alex Benorden welcomed the crowd before Exeter Cub Scout Pack 218 presented the colors and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Tim Wilbeck spoke to the audience, the band played several numbers and Erica Yound closed the program.

Exeter-Milligan met Randolph in the NSAA quarter final match up in Milligan Tuesday evening.  The clear cold evening was no match for the fired up Timberwolves.
The fans got nervous after the scoreless first quarter but the Timberwolves proved why they are #1 in the Omaha World-Herald poll bring home the bacon with a 42-22 win.  Even with the game ending injury of quarterback Nolan White, the Timberwolves prevailed.  James Sluka stepped into the quarterback spot and led the team to victory. 
The Timberwolves (11-0) will head to Creighton (11-0)

 

The Exeter Chamber of Commerce rescheduled the Halloweenie event that preempted by the Exeter-Milligan football game.  Instead, the chamber wanted to celebrate Veteran’s Day and invited the community to enjoy a free hot dog supper. 

 

The Exeter-Milligan 7-12 Students traded in their MacBook Pros for MacBook Airs in a one to one refresh this year. The new computers are lighter and faster than the older models and are equipped with the latest operating system and applications. They also have a much longer battery life, which allows the students to use them fully throughout the school day.

 

Exeter-Milligan has become fully immersed in Google as a Google School. The students use Google Drive to create and store documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Teachers have added their own Google Sites to the school website which can be found at www.emwolves.org.

In the elementary school the students have been given iPads to use. Every student in Kindergarten through 6th grade has access to his or her own iPad. These are equipped with the latest applications and operating system. Teachers are able to engage students throughout the day with various applications.  Many times, a student can be heard saying, “Hey, I think we have an app for that.”

Exeter-Milligan graduates earn FFA American Degree

 

Ben Bartu (left) and Kiah Songster (right) fresh off the stage at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis with their American Degrees in hand.

 

Only one half of one percent of all FFA members will earn their American degree, the highest degree available to FFA members.

Just 142 Nebraska FFA members received their American degree last weekend in Indianapolis and two are members of the EMF FFA.  In fact, they are two of the founding members of the chapter which began its combined charter in 2018.

Kiah Songster and Ben Bartu applied for the American Degree last spring and were notified late this summer that they would be receiving the award on stage in Indianapolis at the FFA National Convention.

To earn the award they had to be out of high school at least one year and have received their state degree.  They must also be pursing an agricultural college education and had to earn $10,000 profit from their Supervised Agricultural Experience project and invested at least $7500 in their project. 

In addition to the project, there was an extensive application which required them to have at least 50 hours of community service.  Their advisor, Amy Kohtz, emphasized the importance of good records, “Both of them have done a really good job throughout the years keeping their records up to date so it was an easy process of finishing out the year and submitting the application.”

Songster, who is pursuing an ag business major and communications minor degree at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, continued showing cattle after high school and logged all of those hours and the profit from selling her show cattle to earn her American degree.

Bartu, who is pursuing a diesel technology degree at SCC in Milford, logged his time and profit from his work at Horizontal Boring and Tunneling in Exeter.

Applying for the degree wasn’t exactly on Bartu’s radar but after Kohtz mentioned he might be eligible to apply he decided to go ahead and try for it.  Songster knew it would be a great addition to her resume and show “how hard working and passionate about agriculture” she is.

Both recipients gave a nod to the bonus education they received in FFA.  Bartu stated, “I have learned a lot of stuff about agriculture that I didn’t know.  As an officer in FFA in high school I learned a lot about organization, planning events, being involved and what it takes to run an organization.”

Songster added, “Being a part of FFA has made me a better public speaker, a better leader and made me be able to solve problems.”

Both encouraged other students to stick with FFA and take the leap to apply for their American degree. “It shows how hard working you are and the drive you have for what you are passionate about,” said Songster.

Kohtz noted that the degree and FFA help secure the future success of students, “by showing future employers that just because high school is over doesn't mean that they don't stop working towards goals. Work ethic is something that is hard to have students want to do and by continuing to take pride in their SAE projects and to continue beyond school shows not only work ethic but dedication to the organization.”

And just like Songster said, she learned many life skills in the program.  Kohtz emphasized that even students who aren’t going to pursue a degree in agriculture can benefit from participating in FFA, “Specifically we have Career Development Events.  These events align to different careers from welding, agronomy, ag business, sales, marketing to vet science.  Even if a student does not want to major in an agricultural career, the skills they learn by participating in these events and in Ag Ed classes gives them transferrable career readiness skills.”

Songster and Bartu travelled with their family members to Indianapolis and met up with the EMF FFA group who were able to all watch them receive their degrees on stage at the convention.

 

EMF Headed to State Championship Football Game

Lincoln Bound!!!!

 

The EMF Bobcats traveled to Crofton on Friday night to play the 11-0 Warriors.  The Bobcats didn't waste any time showing the Warriors how it's done.  

To start the game the Warriors received and it didn't take long for the Bobcats to force a fumble with Bobcat Jacob Klooz recovering the ball.  The Bobcats capitalized on the Warriors error and with 9:29 left in the first quarter Breckan Schluter waltzed into the end zone for six and then tacked on two.  8-0

Crofton scored with 2:48 left in the first quarter but not without fumbling the ball again and losing it to the Bobcats.

Schluter scored again for the Bobcats and Spencer Eberspacher caught the Tyler Due toss for the two point making it 16 - 8.  With 3:46 left in the half the Warriors tied it up and the score was 16-16 at the half.

The Bobcats came out of the half strong with Schluter in for a TD with 7:30 left in the third.  Two point was denied so the score was 22-16. Schluter tacked on another TD four minutes later and added the two point making it 30-16.

Crofton got in for a TD making it 30-24 and then with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter scored again making it 38-32.  With 1:52 left in the game Schluter sealed the deal for the Bobcats making the final score 46-32.

The Bobcats will meet Stanton at Memorial Stadium on Monday, November 20 at 10:15 am for the Class D-1 State Championship game.

 

 

 

Thank you, Veterans!

 

Throwback Thursday: 11/03/2013

 

11/03/2013

Every October the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department hosts a Junior Fire Patrol classes during Fire Safety Month.

Part education and part training, the fifth graders from Exeter Milligan love the program. “They’re learning valuable life skills for not only now, but when they have families of their own.  It’s a fun class but at the end of the day I want them to remember this could actually save someone in their families lives,” explained lead instructor Hope Androyna.

This is the fifteenth year that the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department has sponsored the Junior Fire Patrol for area fifth graders. This year there were four participants.

Three of the students had perfect attendance and passed all of the requirements to become junior fire marshals.  They are Jaiden Papik, Jackson Beethe and Georgia Meyer.  All three of these students have a parent who serves on the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department. Clint Oldehoeft also participated.

The department is now seeing a side benefit to the program that wasn’t realized for a number of years, as several Junior Fire Marshalls have become active members of the Exeter department.  One, Jacob Miller, now serve as assistant fire chief.

Hope Androyna served as the lead instructor this year.  Many other members of the department served as instructors and volunteers throughout the four weeks including Ed Mark, Jacob Miller, Jackie Miller, Marv Swanson, Dan Everheart, Ken Strate, Mark Beethe, Doug Papik, Craig Meyer, Nate Kahler.

 

 The Psychology students in Mr. Marr's class decided to have a little fun with the Exeter-Milligan Kindergarten, first and second graders on Halloween.  The high school students wore costumes to school and created boxes of "parts" for the elementary students to examine. 

 

The Exeter-Milligan junior high football team recently completed their 2013 season.
Five of the six games were played in Milligan. The team was slowed by injuries
throughout the season. The EM team finished with a 1-5 record.

 

The Omaha World-Herald ranked the Exeter-Milligan Volleyball team #9 this season.  The team plays tonight in Wilber versus the Hampton Hawks at 7 p.m. at the Sub-District Finals.

 

Exeter-Milligan Softball Players Receive Post-Season Honors

Congratulations to senior Logan Zeleny, the catcher for the Fillmore Central/Exeter-Milligan Panther Softball Team as she was selected for the Southern Nebraska Conference first team. Zeleny was also selected on the York News-Times All-Area Softball Team and was given an honorable mention on the Class C Super State Team.  Senior Meredith Emshoff was recognized with an honorable mention with both the Southern Nebraska Conference and the York News Times All-Area Softball Team. The FC/EM Panthers headed to the Class C State Tournament and posted 1-2 record there.  They finished the season with a 24-12 record.

HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM (HOP) FUNDS

for DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE IN FILLMORE COUNTY

 

Funds were received from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) to provide “down payment assistance” to eligible homebuyers in Fillmore County for the purchase of existing homes in Fillmore County communities. The program runs through September 22 of 2015 and $128,000 dollars is available for down payment assistance.  The assistance comes in the form of a no interest loan that is paid back when the home is sold.

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Participants must occupy the property as a principal residence and be income eligible. The purchase must be of an existing home in a Fillmore County community and the cost may not exceed $135,000. The maximum subsidy cannot exceed 20% of the purchase price and has a maximum of $17,000.

 

Mr. Murphy’s social studies classes have spent a good deal of time discussing current issues affecting our country.  In addition, the Post World War II History class has been investigating the Cold War and African decolonization following World War II.  The high school American History class has researched local pioneers and westward expansion, as well as, immigration and culture of the late 1800s.  World Geography completed a unit on Nebraska geography and is currently looking at how weather and climate influences human geography.  At this time, History 8 is studying the American Revolution.  

 

  Chemistry is the study of matter and energy, and the changes they undergo. Currently, we are looking at emission line spectra as a method of identifying unknown gases. Every element gives off specific wavelengths of light when it has electricity running through it. These types of light are commonly referred to as “neon” lights, but not all of these bright lights contain neon. Neon happens to produce a red orange color, but there are many other gases that yield the different colors of the spectrum.

 

            Our students are using this experiment to look at just one variety of properties that electrons are responsible for. electron behavior is the primary area of study in chemistry because electrons are the outer most parts of the atom and are responsible for the way atoms interact with each other.

            When the students use the pictured apparatus, called a spectroscope, to view the tubes of gas, they see a distinct line spectrum. We will then compare the spectra of the unknown gases with the spectra of known gases and determine what the tubes are filled with. Some practical applications of this technology are in forensics and cosmology.

EMF Bobcats Headed to Semi-Final Game

EMF sent a message to North Platte St Pats on the Pats first possession - they made almost no yards due to the Bobcat defense.  They sent North Platte packing and continued putting the screws to the St Pats offense for the rest of the game.

EMF got on the board first with 7:10 left in the first quarter and Breckan Schluter found the end zone for six and for the two point conversion the Bobcats pulled out a tricky reverse play and Draven Payne found crossed the line for the extra two.  With 3:09 left in the first quarter the Pats put up six and two and evened the score.  

The Bobcats hit the air and Tyler Due found Draven Payne for a big gain to scoring position,  Schuter carried it in for six but the extra point didn't fly.  14-8 with 8:20 left in the first half.

St Pats got their offense moving and after the runningback bounced off almost every Bobcat defender they made it to the end zone and kicked the point after making it 14-15.

Before the half ended the Due tossed a pass way downfield to Schluter and he came up with the ball in the end zone with 15 seconds left in the half.  Schluter ran it in for the two point and the score at the half was 22-15

With 9:22 left in the third St Pats scored again and then decided to kick which tied up the score 22-22.  The Bobcats scored again and never let St Pats catch up.  Final score was 44-28 with Schluter finding the end zone each time.  St Pats undefeated season ended.  The Bobcats travel to Crofton on Friday at 6 p.m.