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HERSHEY PUBLIC SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2017 P.O. Box 369, Hershey, NE 69143 www.hpspanthers.org (308) 368-5572

The first semester is about over and I am very pleased with how the school year has gone. It has been a great semester with students having many opportunities for learning.

I want to encourage all parents to listen to their phone messages in regard to weather related school closings. Postings will also be made to traditional media outlets and on social media as well. We try to make the decision the night before whether to have a late start or close school, but sometimes that is not possible as weather can change really fast. We always keep in mind the safety of students in making all of our weather related school decisions. It is up to you as to whether you want to have your child attend school on a snowy day when we are still having school.

Congratulations goes out to Emily Barr and Ashley Hassett for making post season SPVA All-Conference Volleyball Honors. Also to Easton Clark, Tyler Johnson, Bryan McGahan, McKade Smith, Tripp Nicholson, Isaac Margritz and Caje Naranjo for earning post season C2-8 All District Football honors and to Sam Mackley for SPVA One-act honors.

Our winter sports season has started. We have many students out for winter sports. Good luck to all of the students as they prepare for the busy winter activities.

The semester will be over on December 22nd, if the students reach their food goal in the annual food drive school will dismiss at 1:30. Classes resume for students for second semester on January 4th. Congratulations to all of our students for a fine first semester both in academics and extracurricular activities. I am always open to suggestions or comments on anything pertaining to school. Feel free to give me a call at 368-5574 or stop by the school. Have a great month, and Go Panthers!

Educationally,

Mrs. Jane Davis

Superintendent

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News from your Principal Merry Christmas to you all! It was just a few short months ago we were welcoming our students back to Hershey Public School. We have had a great start to the school year with rigorous learning going on in the classrooms and many individual and team activities having successful seasons. As we continue the school year, I would like to remind everyone that our semester is nearing an end. On December 22nd we will break for the holiday and the semester will be complete. Students are reminded that their grades will be final for the semester. I encourage parents to take an active part in checking a student’s grades with them to track their progress. This can be done through Powerschool which all students have access to. Parents can also download the mobile app for Powerschool. If parents need help getting into Powerschool to see their child’s grades you can call the high school office for help. Thank you for being an active participant in your child’s education. Our National Honor Society is hosting a blood drive on December 4th at the Hershey West Gym from noon to 5pm. If you are interested in donating blood, please call the school and we can get you signed up. National Honor Society member Baylee Brownawell is the chairperson for this event. Walk-ins are welcome the day of the blood drive. The Hershey Student Council is sponsoring a food drive for the food pantry in Sutherland which serves our area. Our school goal is to reach 2,500 points and the last day to donate is December 8th. Each donated item counts as a point and each dollar donated counts as 2 points. If our goal is met we will release school on December 22nd at 1:30pm.

I appreciate your support for our school and truly believe that we have the best group of educators in the area. We are very fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and caring staff. I am blessed every day that I come to school to be a part of so many dedicated educator’s careers. Please remind your children how lucky they are to be a part of the Hershey School System. I would also like to welcome a new member to our staff for the second semester. We will have a student teacher in the English department and her name is Miss Ali Meyer and she will be joining us from Chadron State College. Please make her feel welcome as she begins her teaching career here at Hershey.

As always, remember that our teachers are available before and after school to meet with parents concerning their children. A phone call, e-mail, or parent meeting are options that are available. Parent involvement in education is a key factor in a child’s success. Thanks for all that you do. Happy Holidays! Jeff Steinbeck

News from Activities Director I can’t believe that we are down to our last month of the semester. The students have all

been doing fantastic and are ready for the holidays. It has been a very eventful and exciting semester and I am so proud of all our students. On Monday November 27th, we kicked off our food drive. Please bring your items to school and help the food pantry in Sutherland that serves our area! The food drive will continue until December 8th.

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Winter sports are underway and they have all been practicing extremely hard for the upcoming games. JH Wrestling had an amazing season this year. Coach Cale Streeter and assistant coach Travers Richardson worked very hard for these boys. There were many 1st place and runner-up finishes at their tournaments. After talking with both coaches they are very excited for future the of the wrestling program.

We participated in our Jamboree Scrimmage vs. Sidney this year on Tuesday, November 21st. This is an NSAA event that did not count towards the teams records. The entire amount of the gate money made from this event went to the Nebraska Hall of Fame Foundation.

Congratulations to Emily Barr for making 1st Team SPVA All-Conference and Ashley Hassett for making 2nd Team SPVA All-Conference volleyball. Congratulations to McKade Smith, Bryan McGahan, Easton Clark, Tripp Nicholson, and Tyler Johnson for making the C2-8 All District Football 1st Team and Isaac Margritz, and Caje Naranjo for making Honorable Mention All District Team.

The first basketball game will be Thursday, November 30th at Perkins County. We will have our first home game Friday, December 1st vs Gothenburg. The Wrestling program recently conducted a very successful 1st annual Blue & Black Wrestle-off soap scrimmage. There was a lot of great intersquad competition and are looking forward to an excellent upcoming season. Wrestling will travel to Ravenna on Friday, December 1st for their first tournament.

Congratulations to our One Act Play cast and crew under the direction of Tyler Cronin, as they received runner-up at SPVA conference. Their next performance will be districts at Gothenburg on Friday, December 1st for a chance to qualify for State in Norfolk. Good luck to all the programs this winter. Jared Thomsen Activities Director/Assistant 7-12 Principal

NEWS FROM THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL It's easy to get caught up in the commotion of the holiday season, but our wish for you is that you are able to slow down this month and spend quality time with your family and reflect upon the beauty that is Christmas. However, before we send students home for Christmas vacation to relax, we have a lot yet to do!

December brings about the beginning of the winter sports season and the end to the first semester of school. Students and staff are working hard to finish the first semester on a high note. We ask parents to continue to communicate often with your child and his/her teachers as well as check online with PowerSchool to make sure daily assignments and homework are completed and handed in on time. Your involvement remains one of the most important factors in determining your child’s success in school.

In the past, there have been some issues with unattended children both outside the building and in the commons area during home basketball games. Please understand that when

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your young child comes to school events, he or she is expected to stay in the gym under your supervision. As always, there will be at least one administrator on duty at every home event and we will be directing kids to stay seated in the gym for their safety and enjoyment of the event. Please assist us in this effort by keeping your child with you at all times.

The elementary Christmas programs are can't-miss events. This year’s programs are scheduled for December 12. The PK-3 concert begins at 6:00pm in the east gym and the 4-6 concert begins at 7:15pm in the west gym. We fill both gyms every year so please arrive early to ensure a great seat.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year. I hope you keep the true meaning of Christmas in your mind and heart and have an enjoyable and relaxed holiday with family and friends.

Jason Calahan

Elementary Principal

THANKS! The elementary school offers a big THANK YOU to the following:

To the Hershey American Legion for allowing the K-6 students to be part of their Veteran’s Day Program. It was a very meaningful experience.

To Mrs. Tjaden and Mr. Woodside for preparing the students with vocal and instrumental pieces that were performed at the Veteran’s Day program

To the H.E.L.P Club, Hershey Education Association and the Hershey Public Schools for all the “goodies” they supplied to staff during American Education Week. The gestures were much appreciated!

To all who save and send to school box top labels, Campbell labels, and ink cartridges which help raise funds for the H.E.L.P. Club. Also, thanks to the members of H.E.L.P. who organize and facilitate those projects!

ACCELERATED READER POINTS 10 Points Brianna Bohlen KJ Caden Calahan KJ Damon Hall KM Karlee Johanson KM Kole Norquest KM Jaxon Parker KM Payslee Jones 1J

Noah Paxton 2F Payton Jones 3K

20 Points Kaitlin Martin KJ Rebecca Simonson KJ Tanner Abbott KM Coy Corfield 1W

30 Points

Calvin Schaffert 1J Ashlyn Allen 1W

40 Points Noah Fletcher 1J Ashlyn Allen 1W Hadley Etherton 1W

50 Points Zane Morgan 2F

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Johnathon Miles 2H Christian Allen 3K Timothy Caudillo 4D Makenna Still 5G

100 Points Eli Weekly 3K Keira Whitman 3K Alayna Feeney 3R Gracen Kohn 4K Riley Bear 5T

150 Points Ella Becher 3R Angellyn Wardyn 3R

200 Points Hyrum Dominguez 4D Makenna Foster 4K

250 Points Cole Murdock 3K

300 Points Jase Long 4D Ethan Elliott 5G

350 Points Ella Thompson 3K Alexis Truesdale 4D Claire Sexson 6K

400 Points Chase Moorhead 6K Olivia Moorhead 6K

450 Points Riggin Hutchison 4K

500 Points Emma Elliott 5G

Gracie Seamann 6K

550 Points Ceiden Childears 6H

1200 Points Natalia Toribio 4K

1300 Points Chase Martin 6H

1350 Points Brodey Hund 6H

1600 Points Peyton Fisher 6H

1650 Points Peyton Fisher 6H

1700 Points Peyton Fisher 6H

SPVA All Conference Volleyball - 1st Team = Emily Barr 2nd Team = Ashley Hassett J-Money - NP Bulletin Area Volleyball = Emily Barr and Ashley Hassett both "Bench Team" = 2nd team

FBLA Students Helping Out! FBLA students helped serve the a holiday meal at the Hershey Senior Center for the Holiday Center Activity Promotion and Fundraiser. They served to 160 people at this event. What a

great way to give back to our community!

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NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY NHS hosted Operation Christmas Child with the help of K-12 efforts. We were able to raise

$959.89 and fill 89 shoeboxes. It was a great effort by all!

It is the policy of the Hershey Public School District not to discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, age

or national origin in its education programs, administration, policies, employment or other agency programs.

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HERSHEY PUBLIC SCHOOL

REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2017

The Hershey Public School Board of Education held their regular meeting on Monday, November 13, 2017 in the board conference room. Official notice of the meeting was advertised on the school website. The meeting was called to order @ 7:00 pm followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the notification to those in attendance of the posted Open Meetings Law Poster. Members present were Steve Koch, Yvette Troyer, Bob Arnett, Jodi Seamann, Lucas McConnell and Brenda Johnson. Also present were Superintendent Davis, Bookkeeper Apple, Principal’s Calahan, Thompsen and Steinbeck and two visitors.

Motion by Bob Arnett, second by Lucas McConnell to approve the consent agenda which consists of the minutes to the October 9 regular meeting; bills for payment in the amount of $580,471.57 and all financial reports. All in favor, motion carried.

Motion by Bob Arnett, second by Yvette Troyer to approve an extra duty contracts for Jackie Jo Curtis speech coach and a para educator contract to Brendan Lynes for the 17-18 school year. All in favor motion carried.

Nebraska Department of Education Rule 10 requires schools to present what they have been doing in regards to multicultural education. The Principal's reviewed some of the things that teachers have been presenting to students in this area.

The Superintendent of Perkins County, Phillip Picquet, presented a short PowerPoint and answered any questions about their extracurricular drug testing program. Marlo Roberts- Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator with Community Connections discussed survey data about Lincoln County and statistics were shared. We also had a phone conference call with Danielle Frewing, Director of Occupational Health Services in Columbus that works with Ogallala Public Schools extracurricular drug testing program.

Discussion was held on policy 5068 – Extracurricular Drug Testing Program and policy 3025 Returned and Outstanding checks.

Discussion was held on Superintendent Davis’ evaluation.

Principal’s Reports: Mr. Calahan report: Current Enrollment - PK-6 279. Discussed Parent/Teachers, PK-3 fire station visit, Red Ribbon week and the Veterans Day Program. Mr. Steinbeck reported on the current enrollment of 270 students in grades 7-12, discussed donations for Operation Christmas Child and Veterans Day Program. Mr. Thomsen gave an update on winter activities, upcoming G/B Varsity Jamboree Game vs Sidney Tuesday Nov 21 Wallace Speech Meet Jan 13, and wrestling soap scrimmage. Discussed transportation report, completed bus inspections and discussed winter weather safety.

No Board Reports

Superintendent Report: Mrs. Davis: Reported Superintendent’s contract will be on the December agenda and upcoming training events were discussed.

Next regular meeting will be held on December 11th at 7:00 PM

Meeting adjourned at 9:12 PM

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