Armor Academy held a science fair in the basement of the Horton Public Library March 13. Current Armor Academy students and area homeschool students were invited to share their science experiments in a presentation. Each student presented on their findings and were judged based on a rubric of requirements.

Going home with 3rd place & a $25 prize was Cal Gigstad, who tested button batteries on simulated human tissue called "Bad Batteries". Tildyn Childress earned 2nd place & a $50 prize with her experiment testing human heart rates from different kinds of music. Madeline Aller took home the 1st place prize of $100 with her experiment on durability & value of nail polish.

All eleven students presenting did a fantastic job of sharing their knowledge!

Congratulations to the HES 2024 South Brown County Conservation Award Winners: POSTER WINNERS K-1st GRADE 3rd: Taya Saenz 2nd:  Camden Martin 1st: Winona Wewenis:  County Grand Champion (teacher: Ms. Amber) 2nd /3rd GRADE 3rd:  Lavina Schroeder 2nd:  Malia Salazar 1st:  Madison Smith 4th GRADE 3rd:  Bow Tawzer 2nd:  Autumn Jenkins 1st:  Renna Wahwasuck:  County Grand Champion (Teacher: Ms Haynes)

Liliana Mann and Sophia Gibson's grandparents own property by highway 36. They farm and operate Krogmann Manufacturing. The girls wanted to help pick up litter by the highway so that their grandpa could bale the hay later this summer. They were surprised by how much trash gets thrown out of vehicles and the kinds of waste they found. They ended up filling 7 black trash bags as well as finding several large metal pieces. Liliana says "Do your part to keep the Earth clean!" Liliana is 10 a 4th grader from Sabetha, and Sophia is 12, a 6th grader from Doniphan West. They plan to clean it up again before Grandpa bales.

Please join us in congratulating our next HES Red Hawk Hero. A Red Hawk Hero is someone who exhibits characteristics of a hero. Our next recipient is Nicki Mathewson, our district librarian. Here is what her nomination said: Nicki is a tireless advocate of reading for all ages. She is continually finding fun, exciting and unique ways to engage the entire school and promote the love of reading. StoryWalks, Book-opoly, Get Caught Reading, Flashlight Reading Caves, book trivia games, and Grade Level Book Displays are just the tip of the iceberg on what she has implemented as the USD 415 District Librarian. Her Wednesday weekly lessons are engaging and impactful and always facilitated with her special Sunshine personality and calming demeanor. She knows all of the students, what they love to read, and remembers the little details that make lasting, wonderful memories that will last long after they leave HES. She instills a love of reading in everyone that crosses her path. All of this, on top of ordering and managing the business of three building libraries and the specific, individual needs that entails. Her positive attitude, unstoppable work ethic and unbound enthusiasm is a true gift to all!

CONGRATULATIONS to Anna Wendling on winning the RUDD SCHOLARSHIP. She is heading to ESU next year. What a great surprise for Anna.

Mrs. Honeyman's 6th Grade Social Studies class is trading on the Silk Road. History in action!

Mrs. Jacobsen and Miss B's class have been learning about adjectives. To put their knowledge into practice, the students wrote kind adjectives to describe their classmates. This was such a fun activity!

Brown County Conservation recently stopped by lunch at HES to award students for their excellent work on their conservation posters! Congratulations to students who were chosen as regional winners! BIG congratulations to the Grand Champion, Lilah Aller for being chosen as the overall winner from Brown County!

NCMS Scholars' Bowl Competes at Hiawatha

Nemaha County Emergency Management, in collaboration with Nemaha Valley Community Hospital (NVCH), Sabetha Community Hospital (SCH), Kansas Region 5 EMS Council, and community donors, is enhancing safety by providing STOP THE BLEED® kits to local schools and county offices. Emergency Management Director Eddie Aldrine, alongside NVCH and SCH staff, recently distributed 49 kits, funded through a donation of 28 kits from Kansas Region 5 EMS Council and $1,050 in community contributions for 21 additional kits. Kits were delivered to Nemaha Central Schools, Sabetha Schools, Centralia Schools and Saints Peter and Paul School. STOP THE BLEED® kits equip individuals with the tools to control life-threatening bleeding before emergency responders arrive. NVCH and SCH are offering training programs to ensure preparedness. With 150 classrooms and school vehicles in Nemaha County still needing kits, sponsorships are being sought to purchase more. Each kit costs $50, and interested donors can contact Courtney Schmelzle (cschmelzle@nemvch.org), Becky Bartkoski (becky.bartkoski@nemvch.org) or Lauri Hertzler (lhertzler@sabethahospital.com).

Congratulations to the Red Hawk Forensics Team who competed in Silver Lake on Saturday against 23 schools with over 187 competitors! Senior Tori Wist placed 1st in Prose and 2nd in Program of Oral Interpretation (POI) both earning her a spot at state champs. Senior Mark Stroud placed 6th in Program of Oral Interpretation (POI). Sophmore Tori Tawzer placed 6th in Prose. The team competes again next Saturday at Clay Center.

Congratulations to the 7th and 8th grade Scholar's Bowl teams who both placed 3rd at St. Mary's on Monday evening.

A big shout out goes to our HMS Scholar's Bowl teams as they competed in the Big East League meet this evening, finishing 3rd in the 7th grade and 5th in the 8th grade. Way to go, students and coaches!

NVCH Social Worker, Karla Hermesch, LMSW makes a difference every day in the lives of our patients in the communities we serve. Karla plays a critical role in helping our patients and their families navigate the medical system. She not only serves as patient advocate, but also educates patients and families about treatment plans, counsels those experiencing emotional distress, and connects patients with resources — such as state, local, and community-based services — to get them the care they need. Karla is a SHICK counselor, helping navigate Medicare, Disability, and assistance with Prescription Drug Coverage. Karla's favorite part of her job is helping those with substance use and mental health needs and working to reduce the stigma associated with asking for help. She enjoys empowering patients by helping them set goals and connecting them to resources and counseling to find stability in their life.

Congratulations to the Red Hawk Forensics team who took 4th place at yhe ACCHS Invitational on Saturday! Senior Olivia Hawks took 2nd place in Program of Oral Interpretation (POI) qualifing her for state Champs. Olivia also took 4th place in Humorous Solo Acting. Junior Israel Ross took 1st place in POI qualifying him for state champs. This makes Israel our first team member this year to reach three state champs qualifing events (the max you can be entered at the state level) Israel also placed 3rd in poetry. The team competes again Saturday March 8th at Silver Lake.