Exeter-Milligan Update: Book Reviews

Students often look forward to having a snow day, but once it arrives, they sometimes don’t know what to do with extra time. The English students at Exeter-Milligan suggest that snow days offer great opportunities to curl up with a good book. Avid readers may already have a stack of new books waiting to be opened; or at least some old favorites to re-read. Those who don’t particularly like to read, may have problems figuring out what book to choose. Here are some ideas from readers at Exeter Milligan School.

Mystery: The 39 Clues Maze Of Bone, by Rick Riordan

Reviewed By: Broc Mueller,

The main characters are Dan, Amy, The Holt Family, Mr. Alistair, Ian, and Natalie. The most important people are Dan and Amy. They are trying to get the 39 clues are which will make them the most powerful people in the world, and they could also become very rich. The first clue was found in Paris, France. My favorite part of the book is when Dan and Amy went into the catacombs, which is a cave full of bones, which is in Paris. I would recommend this book for people who like adventures and mysteries.

Sports Fiction: Forward Pass by

Reviewed by: Kyle J.

Forward Pass is about a girl named Jill Winston, who is a really good athlete and a great basketball player. On the football field there is a good quarterback named Scott Butler who throws a great bullet pass but he has no one to throw it to because nobody can catch it. The football coach Frank Gardner talks to Jill in the morning after a basketball game and she said yes her dad says no right away but coach talks him into it, but if the basketball coach finds out right away she could stop it so no one mentions it to her. My favorite part of the book is when Jill plays her first game because everyone on the opposite make a big deal about it and how she can’t play, but she actually can because there is no rule that says she cannot. I recommend this book if you like football and being a receiver even if you’re a girl it’s a good book.

Realistic Fiction: TTYL, by Lauren Myracle

Reviewed by: Janey Due

TTYL is about three girls named Zoe, Angela, and Maddie, who are entering high school as best friends, and trying to stay that way. Zoe likes a teacher and goes to church with him. Maddie is always mad except when she finds a boy that she likes. Angela also likes a boy and they get along really well. Maddie kind of breaks off from the group of friends to hang out with a girl named Jana. Zoe and Angela are kind of mad about it but it ends up working well in the end when all the girls work it out. Once I started reading this book I didn’t want to put it down. It really relates to real life and teens in high school. The girls learn to beat the pressures of high school and stay together. It was a very good book, and a lot of girls would probably like it if they gave it a chance.

Romance: The Last Song, By Nicholas Sparks

Reviewed by: Kylie Briske

The Last Song is about a girl named Veronica “Ronnie” Miller, who is from New York City. That summer she and her little brother, Jonah were visiting her father in South Carolina, who divorced her mother years earlier so she does like him at all. During the town fair she meets a boy named Will Blaklee, whose family owns a nation wide auto-care company and they are very wealthy. After Ronnie finally warmed up to her dad, they became closer, until tragedy struck. One evening Ronnie, Will, Jonah, and their father were watching over sea turtle eggs on the beach, and her father started to cough and then he fell on the ground with blood leaking out of his mouth. That night Ronnie and Jonah learn that their father is dying of cancer, and that he has stopped taking treatments for it. As the school year approaches, Ronnie decides to take a semester off from Julliard and stay in South Carolina to help her father. After about a month and a half, Ronnie’s father passes away and she decides to return to college with will just a few miles away. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a romance, but also a sad story. This is one of my most favorite books and I'm sure anyone would enjoy this book.

Winter is only seasonal, but a good story sticks with you forever. So find a good book to curl up with, take some time to read during every season of the year. Your next great read is only a page turn away.

Exeter Cub Scouts Work on Blue and Gold Projects

 Clint Oldehoeft (left) and Jackson Beethe (right) try out some tape measures before getting down to business on the project they are working on.

 Clint Oldehoeft, gets some help from his Mom, Jill Oldehoeft and a lesson in sanding wood.

 Jackson Beethe, hard at work putting together his recipe card holder.

Sawdust has been flying in Exeter as Exeter Cub Scouts have been working hard preparing for their Blue and Gold Banquet and Pinewood Derby Race at the end of February.  The Blue and Gold Banquet is the annual celebration of the Boy Scout program in the United States.

 

This year the Webelos II group chose cars as the theme for the banquet this year so all the dens will be making invitations and decorations to go along with the theme.

 

The Tiger cubs have been learning how to make change and sew on a button.  They will also be sharing their "collections" and making family picture frames.

 

The Wolf Den worked on their wood project, making recipe card holders.  They also sanded the recipe card holders in preparation for painting their projects at home. When they finished they played the pie tin washer game.

 

The Bear Den made wooden tool boxes and learned to measure, pre-drill holes and assemble the boxes.  They cut the wood for the handle.

 

The Webelos learned more about Boy Scouts, planned a flag ceremony and also planned the theme for the Blue and Gold Banquet.

 

Exeter Cub Scout Pack 218 in part of the Prairie Winds District of the Cornhusker Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

 

 

Exeter-Milligan Introduces Breakfast Program

 Superintendent Paul Sheffield shows first grader Casey Underwood exactly how to make the straw work with his cup of juice.

 The salad bars holds a few breakfast extras. Peanut Butter and Jelly is available along with butter and cinnamon and sugar for toast (the toaster is in the service area where it can be supervised).

 Lori Ruhl, left, serves breakfast to first grader Casey Underwood while Superintendent Paul Sheffield helps Casey navigate breakfast for the first time.

Second grader Jackson Beethe,left, Freshman Devin Sheffield and Senior Amanda Dinneen make their breakfast choices at the Exeter site of the Exeter-Milligan School District.

It may not be Breakfast at Tiffany's but what sounds better, a buffet of hot and cold breakfast foods for $1.25 or whatever you can grab as you leave the house? Students at Exeter-Milligan can now take advantage of the opportunity to eat breakfast at school.

Due to the weather delays both campuses of the Exeter-Milligan school district served their first breakfast on Wednesday, January 12^th.

The idea of serving breakfast was brought to the district by Exeter-Milligan Superintendent Paul Sheffield. “At my previous position I was instrumental in starting a breakfast program and it went over pretty well. It took some time to build it up and work out the kinks, but it is something that benefit’s the students. I brought up the idea with teachers and they were on board. The extra push to get it going came from my son - he asked me when we would start having breakfast at the school,” said Sheffield.

Having two different sites for the program made planning a little more challenging, but the staff was up for the task. The most difficult part of the program has been planning how many students to be ready to serve at each location since some students arrive at the Exeter site for transportation to Milligan. Often making the window of opportunity for them to eat very small.

To help plan for the number of students eating breakfast, teachers ask their classes during lunch count in the morning if they will being having breakfast the following morning. Included in that question is the location they plan to eat at. So far it has worked well to follow the count this way.

The faculty and staff at Exeter-Milligan have several goals for the program. They see the program as an attraction to students who run late along with the nutritional factors. “With our low cost and nutritious offerings we hope to attract students to this kind of meal as opposed to donuts, chips and pop which we see a lot of. Studies have shown the kids do better in school both academically and socially fueled with breakfast in their stomachs,” said Sheffield.

As far as the additional costs for the program staffing was already in place at both locations. “Really since the staff was already there in the morning it was just the cost of the food. We plan for the program being self-funding,” Sheffield explained.

Of course the school is reimbursed by the State for each student who eats a meal free, at a reduced cost or at full price. And according to Sheffield, the students who have eaten breakfast have been from all categories of lunch costs so it is serving a need for entire student body.

So far at both sites they have been serving 25- 30 breakfasts each morning. At his previous position Sheffield always saw the number almost double when biscuits and gravy was on the menu so he is curious to see how that offering is accepted at Exeter-Milligan.

Some students who ride the bus from the country and then stay on the bus for a ride to their campus might not have free time to take advantage of the program, but faculty are recognizing the difference breakfast can make in school performance. “We won’t deny breakfast to a student, the meal is more important that being on time for class. Of course we have to watch that kids won’t milk the situation, but the response from students has been positive,” according to Sheffield.

Exeter-Milligan Update - Perfect Attendance

Exeter-Milligan 2nd Quarter Perfect Attendance

Front Row: Cade Kresak, Marcus Krupicka, Aaron Ostrand,
Cecelia Murphy.

Second Row: Kole Svec, Briana Capek, Casey Underwood, Olivea
Swanson.

Third Row: Jaiden Papik, Jackson Beethe, Blake Meyer, Braden
Capek
 

"PINK OUT" Tonight!

Cece Murphy, right, purchases a pink-frosted sugar cookie from Mrs. Mary Lou Vossler, Family Consumer Sciences teacher and FCCLA sponsor at Exeter-Milligan.  The Exeter-Milligan FCCLA has set a goal to raise $400 for Breast Cancer Awareness and cookie sales. "Cookies for a Cure" for the week of Jan 17 -21st along with a "Pink Raffle"  and "Shot for a Pop" are part of their fundraising efforts this week.  Superintendent Paul Sheffield has promised to change his hair color to pink for the rest of the month if the group meets their goal.Wear Pink tonight to the basketball games in Exeter and the "Shot for a Pop" will be held at halftime during the boy's varsity game.

Exeter-Milligan Update: Fourth graders donate

This holiday season, Exeter-Milligan 4th graders showed
their generosity by donating to the Blue Valley Community
Action Program in Geneva. Students chose to give the money
they would usually spend on a class gift exchange to those
less fortunate. Monetary and non-perishable food donations
were also collected from peers in grades 3-6 and Milligan
staff. It is with great pride these young philanthropists
donated $120 and 140 pounds of food to make Christmas a time
of joy.

Pictured back row L-R: Theron Odvody, Joel Klemm, Mitchell
Manning, Spencer Pribyl, Colton Bossaller, Josie Kresak,
Macy Due, Johnny Babula, and Peytan Brandt

Kneeling: Katherine White, Kate Jansky, James Becker, Trever
Zelenka, and Blake Steuben.

Changes at First National Bank in Exeter

 Jim McCabe and Roy Stubbendick

Amie Underwood

Changes are in the works for First National Bank and First National Insurance Agency in Exeter. First of all, the bank has new ownership, Emswater Financial LLC. Alan Emshoff, current President of First National Bank in Exeter is also the President of Emswater Financial LLC.
 

Emswater combines the last name of Emshoff and his wife Amy’s maiden name, Watermeier.

Emswater purchased the bank and insurance company from McCabe Investments and the McCabe family who have owned the bank for just over 75 years. Jim McCabe, grandson of founder H. M. Link has served as the Chairman of the Board and CEO after taking over from his father, Elmer McCabe. Jim joined the bank in 1970.
McCabe, who has practiced law from his office inside the bank since 1970 has decided to retire both from his law practice and from his position on the board at the bank.

His retirement closes a forty year career in Exeter. McCabe will miss “the small town community atmosphere - knowing everybody and being able to say hi and visit with people. Mostly I will miss the people that I have worked with, some I have worked with for a long time. That’s what you miss, the people you have been working with and the people you can help, the customers.”

On the changes he has seen over the years in the banking industry, McCabe noted the technology affects. “When I started we didn’t have such things. Step by step just learning what computers were all about to developing programs with the computers has been the biggest change over the years.”

McCabe sees the sale as a positive step, “One of the reasons I wanted to sell the bank to Alan was because he was familiar with the community and I was confident in his abilities. Our family was assured that the bank would continue in a good, safe manner."

Also retiring from his position on the board of directors of the bank is former Executive Vice President Roy Stubbendick. Stubbendick worked at the bank for 33 years before retiring and then after retirement served on the board for 15 more years. Stubbendick was ready to retire completely and felt that this transition was a good time for him to leave his position on the board.

Stubbendick also noted the technological changes that have continued to affect the banking industry. He also was happy to see the bank retain hometown ownership, “I had a good relationship with the McCabe’s but I am happy about the new ownership. It’s certainly a step in the right direction. I was most pleased that the bank could stay with individual ownership instead of being swallowed up by a large corporation.”

While the bank is changing ownership, Emshoff assures customers that none of the changes will affect them. “We plan to keep pretty much everything the same. Any changes will definitely benefit our customers. We will be the same solid friendly bank people have known for over 75 years,” said Emshoff.

Emshoff looks forward to continuing the banks relationship with the community. “We hope to have a good investment presence. Whether monetarily or with our staff in the community we ant to be more visible with a larger emphasis on service in the community. We‘ve made a long term investment in the community.”

Looking at the current staff members at the bank and insurance company Emshoff noted that “Our staff is one our biggest assets. We have a great staff with no weak links.”

Joining the bank staff in the teller position just before the new year is Amie Underwood. Underwood has been working in the banking and agriculture industry since 1997.

Underwood was excited to join the staff at First National Bank in Exeter, “I have really enjoyed working in the bank already. The bank is very family oriented and has strong ties to the agricultural community here.”

Emshoff and the rest of the bank staff have already enjoyed working with Underwood. “Amie brings several years of banking experience to First National Bank. I am pleased that she has joined our staff.  Her banking experience will be an asset to our operation and to our customers." said Emshoff.

Underwood, her husband Jeff and three sons live outside of Exeter where Jeff works in the cattle industry. In her spare time Amie, originally from McCool, enjoys reading, working in her yard and following the activities of her sons at Exeter-Milligan school.

Six Exeter-Milligan Students named Academic All-State for Fall

Six Exeter-Milligan students were named to the Academic All State list by the Nebraska Schools Activities Association for the 2010 Fall activities season.  Congratulations to:

Tyler Manning, Senior, Football
Blake Papik, Sophomore, Football
Rebecca Vossler, Junior, Golf
Kelsey Moore, Senior, Volleyball and Play Production
Heather Pribyl, Senior, Volleyball
Amanda Dinneen, Senior, Play Production

Exeter-Milligan Lady Timberwolves Lead Standings

U.S. Cellular combined with the Nebraska School Activities Association have created a ranking of schools based on both academic and fine arts program.  According to the points system the Exeter-Milligan Lady Timberwolves are in the top spot in the Class D standings for the fall season with 112.5 points received. Trailing the Timberwolves are Lindsay Holy Family and West Point Central Catholic with 87.5 points each.  When combined with the boys overall the school is in 5th place with 132.5 points.

The U.S. Cellular cup is presented to four different classes the following fall and awards points for each school which participate in an event as well as points for district music competitions.  For more information on the project click here to go to the NSAA website.

Fillmore County Development Corporation Newsletter