The Nemaha County STEP Foundation is excited to announce the 2024 recipient
of the United 4 Youth Scholarship. United 4 Youth provides prevention tools to assist
and empower all Nemaha County youth to reduce destructive decisions and encourage
physical and mental health by making positive choices. The scholarship is being awarded
to a student who is a member of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).
The recipient of the $1,000 scholarship is Harper Smith daughter of Rick and
Shelley Smith of Sabetha. She plans to major in Music Business and learn more about the
music industry. Smith will attend Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Nemaha Central 4th Graders went on a field trip to the Manhattan Sunset Zoo last Wednesday!

Hiawatha Public Schools are Celebrating last week’s winner this week!! Congratulations to Mrs. Ariel Blanton for being our lucky winner! Ariel is a part of our wonderful 4th grade team here at HES! She is kind, funny, understanding of all, and wants the absolute best for each student in her classroom! We are very lucky she is a part of our building. Thank you Ariel for all that you do for HES! We appreciate it so much!

Axtell Public Schools Congratulates Cole Heinen for earning the title Word Millionaire. He has read over a million words this year.

Here is our SHS Senior Spotlight of the day. Our two seniors today are Turner and Kellen. Turner's fun fact is that he loves hunting, fishing, mountain dew and hanging out with his friends. His favorite sport at SHS was baseball and being a manger for football and wrestling. Turner plans to enter the workforce in Agriculture after graduation. Kellen's fun fact is that 4 out of the 8 classes he is taking, as a senior, are shop classes. His favorite activities during high school were trapshooting and hunting. Kellen plans to attend NCK Tech in Beloit Kansas after graduation for electrical technology.

Congratulations to Prom King Mavrik Shafer & Queen Mariah Shafer!

The kindergarten class made a visit to Ms. June today at the post office. They spent time in class writing a letter to someone special, then bought a stamp and sent their letter off. Congratulations Ms. June on your retirement and thank you for displaying our Axtell artwork all these years!

Hiawatha Parks and Recreation invited first graders to help spread the mulch at Crestview (Blue) Park today. The students got to help with the mulch, enjoy a drink and snack provided by HP&R, and then play at the park!

The USA Pickleball Golden Ticket - The Path to Nationals - Vegas was held at the Sunset Park in Las Vegas, NV
April 15 - April 21, 2024.
Gold medalists and all competitors ages 70 and older earned Golden Tickets and the ability to pre-register for the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships.

Format played in
Las Vegas, Nevada:
Men’s Ages 70-74
Levels 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0
played a two pool round-robin blended bracketed play tournament.  This was a MMP sanctioned event with players' UTPR being used.  This was also a skill/age tournament for brackets below age 65 and age/skill for brackets 65 and above.

The 2024
BIOFREEZE USA PICKLEBALL NATIONALS will be played starting on November 10, 2024 and finishing on November 17, 2024 in Mesa, Arizona with matches being played at the
Arizona Athletic Grounds.

Melvin Baker was awarded the 3rd place medal and a GOLD TICKET in this blended bracketed competition tournament.
His participation in this qualifying tournament allows him to now compete in the BIOFREEZE NATIONALS in November!

Several Horton High School art students participated in the Northeastern Kansas Regional Art Invitational and Competition at Highland Community College in Highland Kansas on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Sixteen of the 30 artworks submitted by Horton High School art students earned the school a First Place in competition against other 1A, 2A, and 3A Kansas schools. Over 45 schools from across the state participated in this event this year.

Horton High School’s art teacher, Mrs. Krogmann, submitted 30 artworks for the 2024 competition at Highland Community College. This regional invitational provides a means to showcase a selection of the best works created by league high school art students. Young artists' styles covered a wide variety of mediums that included colorful pencil drawings, oil paintings, photography, printmaking, watercolor, pastel paintings, batik, graphite drawings, conte` and charcoal drawings and much more. Submissions for this year's invitational were juried by two regional professional artists from Kansas City, Missouri area.

During the final award session, Sam Perkins, Graphic Design teacher in HCC’s Art Department and one of this year’s judge provided some insight to the young artists as to why art matters so much. Mr. Perkins said that, “Arts is an elemental component for all of us because it serves as an outlet for our emotions, . . . . the creative process is a gift from one soul to another.” Additionally, one of this year’s judges’ spoke about the criteria. We focus on the quality of the artwork, emotional response, originality in content, the application of technique, and the interpretation and the clarity of the artist’s concept to the viewer.

Horton High School art students Julie Lowe received the top recognition, “Best of Show” in charcoal. Students receiving one “Artistic Excellence” were Dacey Callahan in graphite, Harmonie Garrison in graphite, Noah Keo in Batik, Luke Mathewson in charcoal, LaNell Ramirez graphite, and Dani White in digital art. Additionally, an Art 1 student, Brianna Curtright received two “Artistic Excellence” recognitions this year in conte` and charcoal. Lastly, students receiving one “Honorable Mention” were Rebecca Anderson in Batik; Destiny Herod in watercolor, and Rocky Soriano in printmaking. Students receiving two “Honorable Mention,” were Harmonie Garrison in oil pastel and graphite and LaNell Ramirez in graphite and printmaking.

Mrs. Krogmann, Horton High School Art Teacher, plans on submitting four of the awarded artworks to the Congressional Art Competition. Any students’ artwork receiving recognition at this state level will be sent on to Washington D.C. to be exhibited for one year, receive two round trip tickets to Washington, and attend the Annual Congressional Award Reception at the U.S. Capitol.

It was a busy and successful week for our SHS music programs! Several students qualified for State music this Saturday in Salina with solos and ensembles, both Vocal and Instrumental music received Superior I ratings at State large group, and Performing Arts night was a hit! Great job students and directors!

Congratulations to Axtell School Student Landon Anderson who earned the title of World Millionaire by reading over a million words this year!

On Tuesday, April 16th, Kansas Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Victoria Jelks, presented the Raven Book Store in Lawrence a $1000.00 check for poetry books for the Horton High School library. The state winner each year receives $500.00 to spend on poetry books for their high school. Victoria won another $500.00 for poetry books when she became a national semifinalist at the competition in Washington, DC, in 2023. 

Students work with their teachers to select and purchase the books. Julie Geiger, Victoria’s teacher and coach, recommended she spend the money at a  Kansas-owned bookstore, in order to benefit the economy. 

Victoria agreed. “It made sense to me. Kansas honored me with the championship, so I wanted to honor Kansas by spending all of my prize money right here at home.” 

When consumers choose to purchase from local, small businesses, the beneficial economic effect is significant.  The 2022 Small Business Economic Impact Study  found that $0.68 of each dollar spent at a small business stays in that community. 

The 2024 Poetry Out Loud State Competition Victoria won on March 5 in Topeka will be broadcast on KTWU this Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. It will broadcast again at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 25. 

Axtell students take some time off classes to view the eclipse last week.

First graders have started back up with their weekly visits to help clean up the park! Friday Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Sudbeck were able to take their classes to clean and pick up trash. Students even got to take advantage of the nice weather with a little play time afterwards!

The Nemaha County STEP Foundation representatives graciously accept a check from Rainbow
Communications in the amount of $5,000 for the upcoming Match Day. Match Day will be held
online at www.stepupnemaha.com and in person at the Seneca Free Library on Friday, August
23, 2024.
Left to Right: Julie Bergman, Senior Business Development Specialist; Renee Meyer, STEP Board Member; Tory Jost, STEP Executive Director; Maggie Grier, STEP Board Vice President; and Jennifer Hermesch, Lead Customer Relations Specialist.

Director Kylee Bergstrom and board members Nancy Gafford and Julie Bergman attended the We Kan! Conference with the Kansas Sampler Foundation today talking and learning about how to grow and engage our communities! #ComeSeeSeneca

Quite a week at SHS! State assessments, business tours, life skills breakout sessions, senior breakfast, senior signing day, and music trip to Branson. So proud of our students and the way they conducted themselves through the crazy schedule! Thank you also to our amazing staff for their mentorship and flexibility through it all. Thank you also to Wenger Mfg, Schenck Process, and the Tara Ploeger Memorial for helping to make it all possible! It was a great WEEK to be a Bluejay!!

Hiawatha Schools Mrs. Jacobsen's Fourth Grade class watching the solar eclipse and enjoying MOON pies, SUN chips, and sipping on SUNkist!

“We are thrilled to announce the new Nemaha County Free Fair Board Fund,” shared Tory Jost, STEP executive director. Jost emphasized, “This fund will support 4-H capital improvement projects and programs. The Fund be available on Match Day for matching donations. The STEP Foundation has 32 funds which Strive to Ensure Progress (STEP). Pictured Left to Right: Tory Jost, STEP Executive Director; Kevin Feldkamp, STEP Board Member; Amanda Mueting, Nemaha County Free Fair Board Treasurer; and Neal Haverkamp, Nemaha County Free Fair Board President.

It is Paraprofessional Appreciation Day! Hiawatha Public Schools USD 415 is so lucky to have such amazing men and women helping our students. Our schools would not run smoothly with out each of their dedicated commitment to our students education! Thank you today and EVERYDAY!

The Easter Bunny made a visit to the kids in Hiawatha for the Easter Holiday!!

Thank you to Axtell Public Schools for inviting us out today for a self-defense class. We had a blast getting to know their students and teaching personal safety! Amazing group of young ladies!

Happy Assistant Principal Day! Thank you Mrs. Jessica Koch for all you do for our students, staff and families. NCEMS is lucky to have you!

Congratulations to Phil Steinlage who was promoted to investigator on the Seneca Police Department. Phil is from Corning and graduated from Centralia High School. He has been a Seneca Police Officer for 3 years. Be sure to congratulate Phil as he is out performing his new duties in Seneca.

Congratulations to Royal Valley Student Evan Whiteshield on his acceptance to Haskell Indian Nations University!

Hiawatha Elementary school has a monthly pizza party sponsored by the HES PTO! Students whose names were drawn because they showed positive Red Hawk character enjoyed pizza in Mrs. Dierenfeldt's office! Well done students and thank you to the HES PTO!