Elementary students showcase talent during district art show

Kooser Elementary School student Santana is a shining example of the positive power art can have on lives of all ages.
 
Santana, a fourth grader at Kooser, shared his talent alongside dozens of other young artists at the 2024 elementary district art show. Lincoln Public Schools students, parents and community members gathered at the Steve Joel District Leadership Center and the Hawthorne Building this spring to look at more than 220 vibrant drawings, paintings and prints.
 
Santana presented a watercolor painting that showed a nature scene full of hope. He said art is comforting for him and has helped him feel better.
 
“Many bad things have happened to me, but I figured out how to move away from them and start having a more happy life,” Santana said.
 
Joann said she has noticed the uplifting influence of art in her son’s life. She watched with pride as Santana explained how he created his watercolor scene.
 
“I think it’s good for him,” Joann said. “It’s good to freely express his emotions and puts him in a better mood overall. He draws at home too.”
 
Santana’s artistic skills have also made a major impact on other people. Morgan Beach leads art classes at Kooser and watched Santana paint a bright rainbow above green grass and flowers. He drew clouds above the rainbow and flipped back his paintbrush to create rain droplets on the canvas. He added a teal-and-blue sky with the words “Days can be sad but always stay happy” at the top.
 
“It’s going to be hard for me to part with this,” Beach said. “I’ve already talked with the computer teacher, and I’m going to make a whole bunch of color copies. I’m going to have a hard time parting with this particular piece.”
 
LPS students Vanellope, Granger and Ke’dric also spoke about their artistic creations. Vanellope, a second grader at Roper Elementary School, created a print of floating hearts for the district show. She made hearts of various sizes in two rectangular prints. One side featured a solid blue-and-white design of the hearts, and she made the second side in an identical shape through a “ghost print” process.
 
“It’s kind of like jelly,” Vanellope said. “Every color you have to paint on paper and then you put on a kind of jelly, and then you stamp it on the paper. If you still have a little more paper left, then you can make a ghost print.”
 
Granger is also in second grade at Roper. She produced a print called “I Love U” using the same type of method.
 
“I did it because I love a lot of people,” Granger said.
 
Granger said it was fun to cut out her design on paper and roll paint on it. She said it was “very special” to know her artwork was giving other people joy at the district show.
 
Ke’dric talked with excitement about his drawing of a giraffe that was on display. He picked a full spectrum of hues and shades for the giraffe when he began working on it.
 
“I chose the gold because gold is my second-favorite color, I chose the pink down here because that’s my first-favorite color, the blue is my third-favorite color, and then I did these for the different spots,” Ke’dric said. “I did the ears because it looked cool.”
 
Kafi said he was happy to see his son gain confidence from the art projects he has completed at LPS. Ke’dric is in fourth grade at Adams Elementary School and has brought home many drawings from his art classes.
 
“I think it’s amazing,” Kafi said. “I’m very proud of him. He has a lot of skills, and one of his skills that he’s really good at is art, so I’m glad that he was able to express himself in this painting.”
 
The district exhibit is one of many opportunities LPS artists have to showcase their successful work. Individual buildings host dozens of art shows throughout the school year. Art teachers also guide students in projects such as the “Only One You” rock painting venture at Kahoa Elementary School and the Glow Art Show event at Humann Elementary School.
  
In addition to providing examples of artmaking abilities, the district show also gave glimpses of the personal power art can have on society. When Santana was asked why he liked painting, his response was immediate and heartfelt.
 
“You’re the reason I love art,” Santana said as he pointed at Beach.
 
Beach smiled back, knowing that art would give Santana a chance to create many more winning rainbows in his life.

Click here to learn more about the wide array of art classes available at LPS. The site includes a list of school and district art teachers, programs of study and links to area museums and galleries.

The school district’s secondary art show will be on Thursday, May 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the Steve Joel District Leadership Center. 
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on April 21, 2025

Irving students create robots, biodegradable Legos for state contest

Irving Middle School students used their ocean-sized creativity to collect successful results at a state robotics and project innovation contest.
 
Members of the Irving Robotics Club competed in the First Lego League (FLL) Challenge State Championships this spring. Seventh graders Marcus, Greta, Fletcher, MayLynn, Jaxon and Kenzie and sixth graders Sydney and Graydon applied their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) knowledge throughout the tournament. Judges evaluated teams on their ability to build and code robots, create innovative solutions to real-world problems and show sportsmanship to other students.
 
Marcus and Fletcher said everyone on the Aquatic Androids team enjoyed their time at the tournament. Eighty-nine groups from all corners of the state traveled to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for events. All students in grades 4-8 are eligible to compete in Nebraska FLL Challenge contests.
 
“It’s fun because there’s nothing else really like it, a robotics competition,” Marcus said. “You just get to hang out with all of your friends and team members and see how you do against other teams.”
 
“I definitely enjoyed seeing all of the other teams,” Fletcher said. “I thought it was really cool to see what other people are doing, because this is just what we do. To see other people who like to do robotics too was really fun.”
 
Irving teacher Lindsey Brown sponsors the robotics club and helps the Aquatic Androids throughout the school year. She said it was impressive watching the eight students figure out problems and speak about their solutions.
 
“They like to do this,” Brown said. “It’s one of the most articulate groups I’ve ever taken to a First Lego League competition. They’re really good.”
 
FLL organizers release a new competition theme each year that is based on real scientific challenges. The theme for 2024-25 was “Submerged,” which meant students had to use their STEM and teamwork skills to explore life in the ocean.
 
One of the main parts of the FLL contest was designing and building a Lego robot. The Aquatic Androids wrote computer code so their robot would follow pre-programmed instructions. Once this was accomplished, the team placed its robot on a detailed ocean map so it would operate autonomously to complete different tasks. No remote controls of any type were allowed during the state competition.
 
Teams scored points based on how many missions their robot could successfully accomplish. For example, one FLL challenge involved having the robot grab pieces of Lego-built krill and “feed them” to a Lego whale on the map. The 15 possible missions were worth different point values based on their difficulty level.
 
Sydney said it was interesting to learn how teams from other schools constructed their robots. Everyone used a prescribed FLL Challenge kit that included mission models, electric motors and sensors and hundreds of Lego pieces.
 
“We got a lot of ideas from other teams’ robots, so we can use those next year,” Sydney said. “We found new ways to do challenges, and there were new things we can try building, but just building them in a different way.”
 
A second part of the contest was completing a project innovation challenge involving ocean-related problems. Team members were concerned about the rising amount of plastic pollution in oceans, and they wanted to create a biodegradable alternative to plastic.
 
Greta, Marcus and MayLynn led the project and used a 3D printer to form Lego molds. They then engineered biodegradable Lego pieces out of flour, water and sugar. They began the process in early December and created their successful pieces in early March.
 
“It was mostly trial and error,” Marcus said. “If something worked from one of our failed prototypes, then we would try to make another set out of it.”
 
“There were three or four generations of 3D-printed molds that they went through,” Brown said. “Each mold became more accurately like a Lego, and then they tested their solutions inside of it. They learned a lot.”
 
Greta, Marcus and MayLynn then presented their work at the state contest. They spoke about the research and development process and showed their 3D molds and biodegradable plastic to judges. Greta said it was a good experience to share what they had learned over the previous few months.
 
“All of the staff who were there were really nice, so that really helped calm our nerves,” Greta said.
 
Judges also watched students to see if they demonstrated positive core values such as sportsmanship and gracious professionalism throughout the state trip. Irving displayed this to many elementary students who were attending a non-competition portion of the event.
 
The Aquatic Androids raised money for the contest through a Fund a Need platform from the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools. Community members provided funds to pay state registration fees and purchase supplies to build a practice table for the robot games.
 
All of the Aquatic Androids have been friends since elementary school and enjoy solving robotics problems. They are planning to return to state next spring carrying an ocean-sized amount of experience and eagerness.
 
“We plan to do the same thing next year, and we think we’ll do so much better,” Marcus said. “We already did pretty well this year, especially with our robot and project innovation, so we’re really excited for next year.”
 
Visit home.lps.org/science, home.lps.org/cte/cs and home.lps.org/math to learn more about STEM-based classes that are helping LPS students.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on April 21, 2025

43rd annual LPS Marching Band Invitational Contest

Music filled the air at Seacrest Field on Saturday, Oct. 19 when 26 bands competed in the 43rd annual Lincoln Public Schools Marching Band Invitational Contest.

The awards for Outstanding Color Guard went to Lexington High School, and Outstanding Percussion went to Lincoln Southeast High School.

Bands could earn a rating of 1 for Superior, 2 for Excellent or 3 for Good. Below are the results.

RESULTS

Lincoln Public Schools 

East High School: 1 – Superior
Lincoln High School: 1 – Superior
North Star High School: 2 – Excellent
Northeast High School: 1 – Superior
Northwest High School: 2 – Excellent
Southeast High School: 1 – Superior
Southwest High School (Varsity): 1 – Superior
Southwest 9th Grade Band (Exhibition): No rating, adjudicated with comments only
Standing Bear High School: 2 – Excellent

Other participating schools

Bishop Neumann High School: 1 – Superior
Nebraska City High School: 1 – Superior
Papillion LaVista High School: 1 – Superior 
Palmyra High School: 1 – Superior
Plattsmouth High School: 1 – Superior 
Bennington High School Freshmen Band (Exhibition): No rating, adjudicated with comments only
Grand Island Senior High School: 1 – Superior 
Norris High School: 2 – Excellent 
Seward High School: 2 – Excellent
Beatrice High School: 1 – Superior
Bennington High School: 1 – Superior 
Ralston High School: 2 – Excellent
Grand Island Northwest High School: 1 – Superior
Norfolk High School: 1 – Superior
Pius X High School: 1 – Superior
North Platte High School: 2 – Excellent
Lexington High School: 1 – Superior

Posted on October 24, 2024

Student News Desk: East Book Club helps Spartans showcase love of reading

Written by Avari Wischhof, East High

Lincoln East’s Book Club began their second year as a club with new aspirations and ideas on how to enhance the book loving culture among Lincoln East students. With a rocky first year, the club decided to start fresh and establish an inviting environment for young readers. The club meets every other Tuesday in the library at 3:05pm after school.

With only two meetings under their belt so far this year, the Book Club’s initial focus is on letting the members explore their literary passions through reading their choice of a novel, and encouraging the participation of various activities to get to know one another and explore a deeper understanding of their book. This month’s genre is fantasy, and each member is encouraged to select a book within this genre. The club then comes together to discuss memorable moments in the story.

“Instead of having everyone read the same book, we each read different books in a genre,” Book Club president, Kashish Nagia, said. “That allows us to have people read what they want while still being contained.”

This perspective differs from a typical book club in which each member reads the same book and then discusses it together. However, this system works better for East’s book club because of the decreasing population of book readers.

“I think these days, not a lot of people read books,” vice president, Jihye Seo, said. “But book club really helps you know that there’s other people out there or just being able to read any books that you might like and then you can discuss it or you could talk about your favorite characters. It’s more 40% book, 60% social.”

The social aspect is indeed something that is valued for the Book Club at East. An activity that the members can participate in is called a tea party, which is where the members meet up, get some tea and snacks, and discuss the various books that they are reading. This allows the members to feel connected through their love of reading and share their differing perspectives.

“This year, I think I’m just excited about adding all the new people because they’re wonderful new readers,” Seo said. “They’re just contributions to how diverse of a reader we can get.”

Another activity that the club participates in includes something they refer to as “Buried Book” where members can read books that haven’t been checked out from the library in two or more years. The members are also expected to design book review posters once they have completely read their book of choice. This way, they can promote or share their opinion of their book to others.

Book Club is an outlet for passionate readers to meet new people, discuss their feelings about books, and produce creative material inspired by literature. If this club sounds interesting, make sure to check it out in the library after school, every other Tuesday.

Posted on October 24, 2024

LPS students compose successful notes at orchestra camps

Lincoln Public Schools students made the works of Mozart, Handel and Beethoven come to life this summer during several camps for orchestra players.
 
Strings Alliance in Lincoln (SAIL) members hosted hundreds of musicians from across the city at the camps. Rehearsals for elementary, middle and high school students took place at various times July 17-28. Final concerts for all ages happened July 29 at Lincoln Southeast High School.
 
Ian Wright said many budding musicians benefited from their SAIL camp experiences. Wright serves as captain of the SAIL organization and teaches orchestra at Pound Middle School, Humann Elementary School and Zeman Elementary School. SAIL enrollment swelled to 300 students this summer, and the 2023 roster included students from all sections of Lincoln.
 
“We have 180 elementary students and about 120 middle and high school kids, so we have pretty good numbers,” Wright said. “It’s really encouraging to see this many elementary students here, because that means we’ll hopefully have good numbers for our middle and high school orchestras down the road.”
 
LPS Supervisor of Music Amy Holloman said the summer camps have inspired many students to become top players in their school ensembles.

“LPS has several music camps for students in band, orchestra and vocal music to extend their learning opportunities over the summer,” Holloman said. “Students have the opportunity to learn a variety of repertoire and participate in non-performance activities that are both educational and socially rewarding.”
 
The aspiring musicians also use the camps to maintain and improve their skills when school is not in session.
 
“We have many students who are unable to continue their study over the summer with direct instruction under a private teacher. LPS summer music camps help renew enthusiasm while continuing to develop new skills to prepare students for the upcoming school year,” Holloman added.
 
Wright said he was pleased to see the progress that elementary-aged musicians made throughout their week of rehearsals.
 
“I think that’s one of the biggest benefits of the camp,” Wright said. “A lot of the younger kids come here knowing nothing about orchestra. That’s why the camp is so important, because we’re able to teach them about things like how to properly hold the bow for certain notes.”

LPS officials have been key partners in the SAIL initiative throughout the event’s history. Phoebe Hamann came up with the idea for a summer orchestra camp in 1985, and she helped launch the group’s first concert at Auld Pavilion in Antelope Park. LPS provided all 35 students with instruments to use at no charge.
  
This year’s SAIL students embarked on their musical journeys with rehearsals on the second floor of Irving Middle School. Veteran teacher Rhonda Neely said it was important for them to work with fellow musicians from across the city.
 
“I love working with kids from all of the different schools in the area,” said Neely, who has been teaching orchestra classes for 40 years. “Everyone from Lincoln comes together, and they get to see people that they don’t see during the regular school year. It’s not just students from their own school that they’re standing or sitting by when they’re practicing. It’s someone that they might never have met before, which is great.”
 
She felt the SAIL experiences gave students lessons about teamwork, acceptance, flexibility and building friendships.

“Then when they come back here year after year, they remember each other and they become friends because of the camp. It’s so fantastic. They learn an amazing amount of social skills from being here, and that’s something that helps them in every part of their life,” Neely said.
 
Holloman agreed with those sentiments.
  
“Additionally, students who may be the only player in their section at their school have the opportunity to meet and play with other students who play their same instrument. Exposure to playing with different musicians sharpens aural skills and creates a network of new friends of whom students may otherwise not connect.”
  
The  camps also provided a way for older students to pass on their knowledge to younger musicians. Emma is a junior at Lincoln High and has played violin since the fourth grade. She chose to become a camp intern because she wanted to make a positive difference for others.
 
“This is my first time this year, and I’ve been having a lot of fun,” Emma said. “It’s been great to help out the kids and see them get better. I’ve really loved being able to see them smile when they learn something new.” 
 
Neely said that type of enthusiasm for music made Emma a good fit as a camp intern. She said Emma’s decision to attend was uplifting for everyone.
 
“I had Emma in class when she was in fourth grade, and I told her she would do a great job as an intern because she has the natural talent for this,” Neely said. “It’s the same way with the other teachers here. Many of them were interns with the camp, and now they’re helping to lead it.”

Camp interns like Emma are currently in high school or a recent high school graduate. They provide one-on-one tutoring to students, help classroom teachers with small-group instruction and assist with set-up and tear-down duties at the final concert.

Neely also mentioned these experiences are another way of LPS cultivating the next generation of future educators. 
 
“In our own way we’re fostering future teachers. We’re providing them a place to learn about what it means to be a teacher and to help others, which is so important.”

To learn more about our music curriculum, visit https://home.lps.org/music/.

Posted on September 25, 2024

Science Focus Program cultivates future scientists at Malone Center

Student leaders in Lincoln Public Schools’ Science Focus Program partnered with the Malone Center’s after-school program to spark students’ interest in science early.

Each year, the program does outreach for elementary to middle school aged students to engage them in science.  

“I feel people get intimidated by science or think of science as one thing, just like physics, but it's so much greater,” Science Focus Program senior Rhianna said. 

The high school scientists hosted two workshops for the elementary students over a couple of days. First, they taught the kids about flint knapping, which was a technique prehistoric humans used to make tools out of rock. Then, they gave the Malone participants a glimpse into biology by dissecting frogs. 

“It just felt weird to feel a frog for the first time and dissect it,” Malone after-school participant Joshua said. He also attends Everett Elementary School. 

“We just had a regular old dissection and let the kids explore the frog and see how the organs in that organism are similar to ones in their own bodies,” Rhianna said.

The Science Focus Program is one of nine LPS focus programs. One of its values is being active in the Lincoln community. Its outreach allows the program’s students to apply what they learned in the classroom beyond its walls. 

“It helps to reinstill that knowledge in me, I mean, it affirms everything that I learned and it's rewarding to be able to pass it on to someone else and see their eyes light up like mine did the first time I did it,” Rhianna said. 

The Science Focus Program is also the oldest LPS Focus Program – enrolling its first students in 1997. Its foundation of exploratory learning and fostering connections is part of the magic that keeps it thriving.

“Individualized learning is definitely what sticks out to me. The tight-knit community, your teachers, and you interact more,” Rhianna said. “You know everybody here, you have a greater connection with all these people here, and you have more learning opportunities.” 

Learn more about our focus programs on the LPS website at https://home.lps.org/focus/.

Posted on September 25, 2024

Lincoln Northeast High School garden sprouts into a successful venture

Lincoln Northeast High School students planted positive seeds in 2021 when they began planning for the high school’s first community garden.
 
Those initial ideas have sprouted into a successful venture for everyone in the neighborhood.
 
Students, parents, staff members and area residents celebrated the community garden Aug. 2 during an event called a Garden Gathering. The morning tour was designed to give people an in-depth look at the academic and societal benefits that students are harvesting from the garden. Organizers also wanted to tell residents about future plans for Lincoln Northeast’s garden, and they hoped to inspire them to spread the community garden concept throughout the city.
 
Brittney Albin, sustainability coordinator for Lincoln Public Schools, said she was happy to help people learn more about Lincoln Northeast’s outdoor space. Dozens of residents looked at thriving plants and vegetables in the garden before moving into the library for slideshow presentations and networking sessions.
 
“These Garden Gatherings are something we hold on a quarterly basis to provide resources and build connections between the local organizations and volunteers who are interested in supporting outdoor learning and gardens,” Albin said. “The tour really gives an opportunity to see one of many approaches that a school can take to maintaining a garden on their campus.”
 
Bailey Feit joined Albin for the outdoor and indoor presentations. Feit works in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and she is the CASNR/LPS early college and career STEM pathway coordinator at Lincoln Northeast. The focus program teaches students about FEWSS (food, energy, water and societal systems) concepts. She said Lincoln Northeast’s garden has produced many smiling moments for students there.
 
“It’s integrated into the curriculum at school, and that’s what makes it so exciting,” Feit told people while pointing to one of the garden beds. “It’s a really good learning experience for everyone.”

Students in Brooke Jambor’s English Language Learners (ELL) class proposed the idea of a community garden during the Spring 2021 semester. They were inspired to create their own outdoor classroom after reading a story called “Seedfolks” at school. They asked Lincoln Northeast Principal Keri Applebee if the school would support the project and she enthusiastically agreed.
 
Students then obtained assistance from many community partners as they began to turn their plans into reality. Volunteers built and installed four garden beds that included a variety of plants. Students collected seeds of each item and learned about important topics such as soil conditions and irrigation practices. They then watched with excitement as the garden began to spring to life.
 
Their efforts paid off even more in the 2022-23 school year. The FEWSS/Garden After-School Club led an expansion project that added a pollinator habitat, trellises, a cut flower bed, two stationary raised garden beds and four raised garden beds on wheels. The area also features a “three sisters” bed filled with corn, beans and squash and a corn bed containing sweet corn, popcorn and decorative corn.
 
Lincoln Northeast students Grace, Eva and Hoda spoke to visitors during the outdoor tour. They beamed as they talked about items ranging from sunflowers to fall vegetables. They later said indoors that they were happy to take part in the project.
 
“It’s been really interesting to me to see how the garden attracts pollinators and how that helps the environment,” Eva said. “It makes everything more sustainable, and that’s the whole goal of this. I’ve had a lot of fun doing this.”
 
“It’s been good to see the tomatoes grow this summer,” Hoda said. “I’ve enjoyed that.”

Kiegon is the fourth member of the current student group at Lincoln Northeast. He began learning more about gardening in middle school and has continued his agronomy interests on the LNE campus. He was inspired by family members such as his grandfather, who spent decades working as a farmer.
 
“Following in their footsteps is the most honorable thing I can do,” Kiegon said.
 
Kiegon spoke at length about his goal to develop a self-sustaining irrigation system for the garden. The student group is planning to build rain barrels that would store water throughout the year. They could then use the free water to nourish plants and vegetables during the growing season.
 
Feit said Grace, Eva, Hoda and Kiegon have many other goals for the 2023-24 school year. Feit said the group would like to install interpretive signs throughout the garden to help visitors learn more about the entire project. They also want to build a shed with solar panels on the roof, establish mentorship programs with area middle schools and create partnerships with local organizations and churches.

Feit told residents that students wanted to emphasize that everyone in the community is welcome in the garden.
 
“We’re trying to get the word out to people that there is a community garden here at Northeast,” Feit said. “We don’t have a fence and there’s a reason for that.”
 
Feit also felt the garden was a place for people from all backgrounds to grow friendship roots. She was a math teacher at LPS for 12 years before moving into her current role, and student gardeners at Lincoln Northeast have come from diverse family, economic and social experiences.

Feit and Albin both said the smiles that Grace, Eva, Hoda and Kiegon displayed were good indications of how the garden has made a lasting impact on many lives. They felt the positive seeds students planted more than two years ago have turned into a successful venture for everyone in the community.
 
“We’re continuing to take the vision those first students had and expand that each year,” Feit said. “We want the garden to bring people together.”

The next Garden Gathering will take place at Roper Elementary School during the second quarter. Participants will learn about hydroponics, tower gardens and gardening in the winter season. More information about the LPS garden program is available here.

Posted on September 25, 2024

East captures NSAA Cup championship

Lincoln East students enjoyed successful moments in all of their activities during the 2022-23 school year.
 
Their accomplishments helped them capture one of the most prestigious awards Nebraska high schools can receive.
 
Nebraska School Activities Association officials announced in August that East was the Class A winner in the all-school, girls and boys divisions of the NSAA Cup contest. The NSAA Cup honors schools for achieving excellence in their interscholastic activities programs.
 
Lincoln East Activities Director Zach Limbach said he was proud of everyone in the Spartans community for their hard work. Lincoln East won the Class A all-school and boys NSAA Cup titles for the second straight year.
 
“East High, home of the Spartans, is the pinnacle in opportunities realized through sports and activities: championships won, diplomas earned, leaders equipped and launched to impact the world after high school,” Limbach said. “Well over 75 percent of our student population takes part in athletics and activities.
 
“We have tremendous overall support from our booster club, parents, teachers, coaches and community stakeholders. We have established active student leadership groups that continue to encourage and support all of our programs. It’s good to be a Spartan!”

 
Lincoln Public Schools Director of Athletics and Activities J.J. Toczek said the award reflected the elite standards students have set for themselves. The Spartans claimed Class A state championships in four activities and qualified for multiple girls and boys state tournaments and meets.
 
“This is a huge honor for both Lincoln East and Lincoln Public Schools,” Toczek said. “It shows the time, dedication and effort that both our athletics and activities student participants and our coaches put in to make the programs successful at Lincoln East. This is an award that encompasses both sports and fine arts, so it really is a great honor.”

 
The Spartans finished the 2022-23 season with 850 points in Class A all-school standings. Omaha Westside (742.50 points), Lincoln Southwest (640), Gretna (592.50) and Millard North (555) rounded out the top five.
 
Limbach said Lincoln East students and coaches achieved NSAA Cup success because they have built a positive culture at school. He said that is true in academics, activities and community service.
 
“We have outstanding students, outstanding coaches and an outstanding culture,” Limbach said. “We remain enthusiastically positive about what we have accomplished in the past and what we plan to accomplish in the future.
 
“Winning the NSAA Cup the last two years in a row was a huge accomplishment that makes us all proud. But, winning it was merely a byproduct of doing things the right way and continuing to strive to continuously improve. We care about each other and support all of our programs.”

 
NSAA officials began the NSAA Cup program in 2006 to recognize high schools for having success in many activities. The organization divides the contest into girls, boys and all-school categories. Schools are divided into Classes A, B, C and D based on student enrollment.
 
Schools earn points in girls and boys divisions for gender-based activities. Coed schools share points from fine arts activities equally in each division. Schools combine points from girls and boys activities in the all-school division.
 
Schools receive five points for each NSAA-sponsored activity they participate in. They earn additional points for finishing in the top eight positions of a state championship event.
 
For example, schools that win a state volleyball title receive 50 points in both the girls and all-school divisions. Teams that finish second through eighth receive 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20 or 15 points.
 
Schools split NSAA Cup points evenly if they tie for a specific placement. Schools receive wrestling points based on their highest team finish at either the individual or dual state meets.
 
Lincoln East soared up the Class A charts by winning state championships in girls cross country, boys tennis, speech and baseball. The Spartans also collected points in volleyball, boys cross country, girls golf, softball, music, play production, individual wrestling, boys basketball, girls and boys swimming and diving, girls and boys track and field, girls tennis, boys golf, girls soccer and boys soccer.

 
Lincoln East finished first in the Class A girls division with 465 points. Omaha Westside (422.50), Millard North (392.50) and Lincoln Southwest (372.50) were in the next three spots.
 
The Spartans were first in the Class A boys division with 510 points. Omaha Creighton Prep (392.50), Gretna (390), Omaha Westside (385) and Lincoln Southwest (327.50) were second through fifth.
 
NSAA officials will make a public presentation of the award on Friday, Sept. 8. They will honor the school at the end of the first quarter of Lincoln East’s football game against Lincoln Southwest at Seacrest Field.
 
Toczek said Lincoln East’s success in the NSAA Cup was due to a strong participation rate in school activities. He encouraged all LPS students to become members of a team or organization this year.
 
“It shows that there is something for everyone at LPS to be involved in, both in athletics and activities,” Toczek said. “We encourage all students to get involved, because we know that students who participate in athletics and activities enjoy greater success academically and have a lot of health benefits, both physically and mentally. It’s better for the entire community when students are participating in things at school.”

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

History in the making: “Soda Pop!” debuts on Northwest High School’s stage

Approximately 30 Lincoln Northwest students have spent the past six weeks rehearsing lines, perfecting scenes and gaining confidence on the school’s stage. 

Their hard work helped them make history in front of appreciative audiences on opening night Thursday, Sept. 28, when they performed “Soda Pop!”. The production is Northwest’s first fall play and it’s also the first theater performance at the school’s new performing arts center. 

Shows are open to the public and will continue through the weekend starting at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 and 30 and 2 p.m. Oct. 1.

Northwest juniors Charlotte and Jay are both portraying leading characters in the play. They said all of the production members were thrilled with the chance to be trailblazers in the theater department.

“It feels really good to be part of something for the first time,” Charlotte said. “This is the second year for our school, but we’re still able to do something like this for the first time. It’s super cool. I’m really happy about it.”

“It’s very exciting,” Jay said. “I like being the first to do anything, so being in the first group is something that’s great.”

Samm Hanks shared that joyful attitude. She led high school theater productions outside of Lincoln for many years before returning to direct plays at Northwest. The Lincoln North Star graduate felt “Soda Pop!” would give the Falcons a positive launching pad for their program.

“I thought it would be a really good play to share on stage,” she said. “The kids have enjoyed it a lot. They’ve done a great job with it and have made a lot of progress in a short time. It’s been fun to watch them grow.”

The play’s script is a parody of life as a teenager in the 1950s. Students lip-sync songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s throughout the performance. Costumes and scenes also bring back memories from the time period.

Hanks felt “Soda Pop!” was a play that was fun for both novice and experienced actors. Approximately 25 percent of the cast had never appeared in a theater production before, and several stage crew members were also new to the activity.

“It’s been a lot of fun having a group like this with mixed experience,” Hanks said. “There’s been a learning curve for sure, but our more experienced students have been really good at encouraging everyone else. I’m proud of how everyone has worked hard this whole time.”

Jay’s musical roots have helped him fill the leading male role of Bobby. He did not have any theater background before the first day of school, but he had performed for audiences many times as a guitarist in jazz and rock bands. He said that gave him the confidence to try out for the play.

“I’ve ended up really enjoying it,” Jay said. “There are a lot of people who are passionate about what they do, so it’s been a lot of fun to get to work with them.”

Charlotte signed up for “Soda Pop!” with a large amount of theater experience. She performed in school plays outside of Lincoln before joining the Falcon family last year. 

Charlotte performs the leading female role of Betty. She said the up-tempo style of the play made it entertaining for everyone in the group.

“It’s such a high-energy play,” Charlotte said. “There’s a lot of moving around on stage, and I think everyone’s really liked that. There’s just a lot of energy all around.”

The Falcons held auditions the first week of school and began rehearsing the following week. Rehearsals have typically lasted about three hours. 

Charlotte said it is even more fun to create school history with many friends. She said those connections have made “Soda Pop!” a memorable trip back in time.

“I’d seen a lot of people in the hallways, but I’d never really met them before, and now I’m really good friends with them,” Charlotte said. “There are a lot of really good people here. It’s been so much fun.”

Check out some highlights from the dress rehearsal below.

If you want to support more of our high schools’ performing arts programs, visit our arts calendar https://home.lps.org/communitycalendar/.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Prescott CLC connects students to agriculture through storytime with Nebraska's first lady

Prescott Elementary’s Community Learning Center (CLC) students welcomed Nebraska First Lady Suzanne Pillen on Sept. 27.

The state’s first lady helped bring agriculture to life by sharing a story with the students. Pillen read Right This Very Minute as part of the state’s Agriculture Literacy Week. She wanted to use the book to help the students connect that lots of the food on their plates is produced by Nebraska farmers and ranchers.

“I learned about farming and how it's important to Nebraska,” Prescott fourth-grade student Vivienne said. 

“Books are interactive and require kids to think. I am passionate about helping kids think about how agriculture is a part of their everyday life,” First Lady Pillen said.

Prescott’s CLC serves more than 100 kids. The reading session with Nebraska’s first lady exemplifies how Lincoln’s CLCs help further learning before and after school.  

"We appreciate Mrs. Pillen's visit to our Prescott Elementary Community Learning Center today and highlighting the importance of agriculture in our state," Lincoln CLC Director Nola Derby Bennett said. "Lincoln CLCs are an essential learning partner with Lincoln Public Schools and provide students with a variety of academic and enrichment activities after school to connect them to our community and what they learn during the school day.”

The CLC initiative supports 30 LPS schools in the development and implementation of high-quality extended education opportunities, weekend and summer enrichment programs and other supportive services for students, their families and the surrounding neighborhood.  

“I think my favorite part about CLC is you're staying after school and like hanging out with my friends and doing these cool activities,” Prescott fourth-grade student Estes said. 

Lincoln’s CLCs are centered around a community school model with lifelong learning as one of the core principles. There are 20 elementary, six middle and four high schools with a CLC.

“Ideally, the school would function as a centerpiece of the neighborhood. Today, it's good to just have someone here who has a connection to the neighborhood,” Prescott CLC Site Coordinator Raina Engelhard said.

Learn more about Lincoln Community Learning Centers at https://clc.lps.org/schools/.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

2018 LPS Marching Band Invite - Final Ratings

The 37th Annual Lincoln Public Schools Marching Band Invitational was held on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Seacrest Field. All six of the Lincoln public high schools braved the damp conditions and performed, as did bands from across the state. Here are the final ratings from the event:

Beatrice HS - Class B - Rating: I

Schuyler Central HS - Class A - Rating: II

Bennington HS - Class B - Rating: I

Seward HS - Class B - Rating: I

Norfolk HS - Class A - Rating: I

Lincoln North Star HS - Class AA - Rating: II

Grand Island HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Lincoln HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Piux X HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Lincoln Southwest HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Waverly HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Lincoln East HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Lexington HS - Class AA - Rating: I

North Platte HS - Class AA - Rating: II

Lincoln Northeast HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Kearney HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Washington HS - Class AA - Rating: I

Lincoln Southeast HS - Class AA - Rating: 1

Outstanding Color Guard - Waverly HS

Outstanding Percussion - Lincoln Southeast HS

Lincoln Southwest 9th-grade band - Class AA - Exhibition

Lincoln East 9th-grade band - Class AA - Exhibition

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students net winning moments at CLC basketball games

Students from six Lincoln elementary schools are scoring points in the game of life this fall through their involvement in a new youth basketball league.
 
Fourth- and fifth-grade students in the Lincoln Community Learning Centers (CLC) program are taking part in the inaugural CLC basketball league. Teams from Arnold, Belmont, Huntington, Lakeview, Norwood Park and Riley are playing five games during the fall. Twelve students from each after-school program – six girls and six boys – are representing their buildings this year.
 
Huntington Principal Kristi Schirmer smiled as she watched teams from Huntington and Riley run up and down the court on Oct. 12. She said the basketball league has been a valuable addition to the CLC curriculum.
 
“This is something really positive that they’re doing,” Schirmer said. “It’s awesome to see. They’re learning how to be part of a team, they’re learning how to communicate with each other and they’re able to have people cheer for them. They’re learning so much in this kind of environment. This is giving them skills that you can’t teach in a classroom.”
 
Lincoln CLC Director Nola Derby-Bennett said she has been thrilled with the response from students, teachers and parents. CLC students enjoyed playing in an elementary soccer league in previous years, and CLC leaders wanted to expand that successful venture to the basketball court. They partnered with multiple Nebraska Wesleyan University students to get the new league up and running.
 
“CLCs have a focus on creating equitable access to academic and enrichment activities for students,” Derby-Bennett said. “As part of our regular club programming, all CLC sites offer opportunities for students to move and develop healthy recreation habits. We know that our students enjoy learning and playing competitive sports, and there are times when cost and time commitments can be barriers for families to access other opportunities that are available in our community.”
 
NWU freshman MacKaylee Madsen is helping coach Riley’s team this fall. The Conestoga High School graduate said she has enjoyed watching her players have fun and learn new skills. None of the Riley students had played competitive basketball before joining the league, but they have quickly caught on to concepts like dribbling, passing and defense.
 
“I’ve really liked doing this,” Madsen said. “It’s been so much fun to see them improve. Today was the best we’ve played, so I’m really proud of them.”
 
All six teams spent two weeks in September practicing at their schools before starting their round-robin schedule. The eight-week season includes a bye week to give students additional time to practice.
 
Jeralyn Klingenberg is the CLC school community coordinator at Huntington. She said many teachers and staff members have encouraged students with their presence at games. Multiple teachers traveled to other schools to watch the Eagles during the first two weeks, and Huntington’s gym was packed with fans during the girls and boys games with Riley.
 
“Our students have had two away games so far, and every game they come back to school talking about what teachers were there and who was cheering them on,” Klingenberg said. “We have been lucky in that we have had different teachers/staff attend each game.”
 
Huntington and Riley parents filled chairs spread across two edges of the court at the start of the girls game, and a row of Huntington students sat along one of the baselines. One of the Huntington teachers wore an inflatable eagle costume and spread her wings for high-fives with students. Schirmer also led fans from both schools in a wave that moved all the way around the gym.
 
“It’s really cool to see this,” Lincoln CLC Curriculum Specialist Kristi Chambers said as she watched the action. “It’s great to see this much support for our kids.”
 
Huntington players wore green t-shirts and Riley donned blue t-shirts for the four-on-four game. Coaches of both schools made many substitutions throughout the afternoon to ensure everyone had plenty of playing time.
 
School and CLC leaders are using the program to plant seeds of sportsmanship. Schirmer welcomed everyone to the gym and told all of the Huntington students and fans that she was proud of the Eagles. She then encouraged everyone to support Riley players and fans as well. The entire gym erupted in cheers for the Rams.
 
Derby-Bennett said she has already heard many stories about the program’s social and educational benefits. She said CLC leaders have seen multiple students display more positive behavior since the league began, and coaches have watched them gain more self-confidence in their practices and games. Their classmates have also experienced the joy of cheering for other people while watching the games.
 
Schirmer said all of those outcomes are helping CLC students land on the winning side of life’s scoreboard.
 
“It has been a wonderful experience for the students to play sports,” Schirmer said. “They are learning social skills and competition skills.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Spartans, Silver Hawks shine in national speech, debate rankings

Lincoln East and Southwest high school students have aced their speech and debate tests in Nebraska for many years.
 
The Spartans and Silver Hawks learned Oct. 24 that they have collected A-plus scores on a national scale as well.
 
The National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) released its “Top 100 Schools” list for the 2022-23 year. The NSDA recognized the 100 chapters with the largest number of new student degrees over a three-year span. Students at more than 3,500 schools received degrees for competition, service and leadership achievements.

NSDA leaders present Honor Society degrees each time students reach milestones of merit points. They earn merit degrees for accumulating 25 points, honor degrees for 75 points and excellence degrees for 150 points. Additional degrees include distinction (250 points), special distinction (500), superior distinction (750), outstanding distinction (1,000) and premier distinction (1,500).
 
East students earned 195 new degrees last year and finished 28th nationally with 501 degrees in three years. Southwest was 61st with 112 degrees last year and 394 degrees in three years.
 
East students Isabella, Elaine and Leo said they were proud of the school’s award-winning success. All three seniors have earned national recognition for their individual talents.
 
“It’s super exciting,” Leo said. “We feel like we’re putting Nebraska on the map. There are schools all over the country who are doing great things, and we’re right there with them. We feel confident that we can do big things too.”
 
John Holen directs East’s debate program and Nick Herink is head speech coach. Both said they were happy for East to be listed among the nation’s top 30 forensics schools. The Spartans finished in the Pentagon Club (500-plus degrees) for the first time in the past decade.
 
“This reflects a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of the students, alumni and staff at the school,” Holen said. “We are lucky to have some of the best current and former students in the state as well as a school building that is completely behind our speech and debate programs.”
 
“This award is reflective of the size of the teams and their consistent dedication to speech and debate throughout the competitive season,” Herink said. “This ranking reflects the last three years of recruitment, retention and commitment from kids. It’s so exciting to see the work of all students from both teams be recognized in this way.”
 
Matt Heimes is head speech coach at Southwest and Toni Heimes is head debate coach. Matt Heimes said it was an honor for the Silver Hawks to be recognized nationally.
 
“We were thrilled,” Heimes said. “We’ve been on that list before, but Covid really hurt our numbers, and like so many other teams, we’ve been working hard to rebuild after losing so many kids who didn’t want to do speech and debate via Zoom.”

 
Isabella, Elaine and Leo said camaraderie is a major factor in East’s success. Upperclassmen are willing to share their knowledge with younger speech and debate students, and practices are full of both humor and hard work. More than 120 students are involved in the two activities.
 
“There’s a lot of networking that happens,” Elaine said. “You prep for events together and you spend a lot of time working to make things the best they can be. It shows how supportive of a community we have.”
 
“There’s a lot of pressure, but ultimately it’s about the process,” Isabella said. “The beauty of speech is that you get to work together to make something turn out well. We have fun working together, but we also make sure we’re all working toward a common goal so that when we switch into contest mode, we’re ready to go.
 
“The tradition of excellence we have here is really a tradition in leadership and a tradition in mentorship. Our success is built on everything that’s been passed down to others over the years.”
 
The NSDA honor was the latest award for East. The Spartans set a Nebraska record with 28 national speech and debate qualifiers this past year. East placed eighth in team standings at the NSDA Tournament out of more than 1,200 schools, and the Spartans earned a School of Outstanding Distinction Award for the first time. East also won the Class A state speech team title and secured championships in five state events.
 
“This was really the cherry on top of an outstanding season of hard work by the students at East,” Holen said.

 
Isabella said the senior Spartans are eager to help maintain that commitment to excellence this year.
 
“Before we’ve always looked to others to be the rock of the program, but now as seniors we are the rock,” Isabella said. “We started out as freshmen and worked our way up, and now our job is to give everyone else confidence so that we can continue to be successful as a program. To me it’s really exciting.”
 
Herink felt that enthusiasm was the primary reason for Lincoln students being in the front row of the national speech and debate classroom.
 
“The speech and debate teams have a long tradition at East, and these kids see the responsibility of that legacy and meet it head on,” Herink said. “We are so fortunate to have these dedicated kids!”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students, leaders gain insight at Educators of Color Summit

Razan and Valerie are both eager to lead future generations of students as Nebraska public school employees.
 
They learned in early November that they would have a strong support system to help them every step of the way.
 
The two Park Middle School students joined dozens of people from across the state at the fourth-annual Educators of Color Summit. Leaders from Lincoln Public Schools and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln co-hosted the multi-generational event. Activities took place at Lincoln Children’s Zoo on Nov. 2. The rest of the activities were at the UNL’s East Campus Union Nov. 3-4.
 
Razan and Valerie both said they were excited to be at the conference. The eighth-grade students are interested in pursuing education careers. Razan would like to become a guidance counselor and Valerie would like to be a teacher in an elementary school.
 
“It’s been a lot of fun today,” Razan said. “I’ve learned a lot more about becoming a counselor. I want to help kids, and that seems like a good way to do that.”
 
“I want to be a teacher and work with little kids,” Valerie said. “I came here because I wanted to learn more about it from people who are teachers now.”
 
Northwest High School junior Sophia also said she was gaining a great deal from the summit. Sophia would like to lead preschool students and has spent the past year speaking with current teachers about her future plans. She said she had established a good network of potential mentors from LPS at the conference.
 
“Over the past year I’ve become a lot more interested in doing this as a career, so I wanted to explore things in more detail today,” Sophia said. “When I heard about this I was really excited, so I thought it would be fun to come. I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m glad I’m here.”
 
Pete Ferguson, youth development coordinator at LPS, said the summit aims to empower and encourage students and teachers of color in Nebraska each year. The statewide event is open to high school students, pre-service education students, in-service educators, certificated and uncertificated staff, school administrators and university faculty.
 
The summit dovetailed with one of the top goals for LPS in the district’s All Means All Action Plan that was adopted in 2021. Lincoln Board of Education members would like to hire more employees from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. They would like to have at least 8.1 percent of LPS certified staff be from diverse groups.
 
Two of the summit’s keynote presentations took place Friday morning. Ferguson led a session called “Chop It Up” for a full room of participants. They gathered at round tables and talked about the significance and value of being either an educator or student of color.
 
Rudi Wolfe, assistant principal at Elliott Elementary School, was one of three people who shared their answers with everyone at the end of the session. She said it was important for educators to be proud of their personal heritage and experiences. She also said being an administrator gave her the chance to make positive connections with students and staff on a daily basis.
 
Robin Brandehoff, an assistant clinical professor of culturally and linguistically diverse education at the University of Colorado-Denver, then led the audience in a session about “Malama Pono.” The Hawaiian phrase means to take good and righteous care of yourself and others.
 
Brandehoff said it was critical for teachers and administrators to reserve time for self-care in their personal and professional lives.
 
“You cannot keep pouring into others when your cup is empty,” Brandehoff said.
 
Brandehoff is campus chair of diversity, equity and inclusion at UC-Denver and guides students of color who are pursuing doctoral degrees. She shared a method of teaching that focuses on ways to build a sense of community in classrooms. She said fostering this type of healthy environment is essential for both teaching and learning at all levels of education.
 
Valerie said she was glad to make connections with educators and students of color from all age groups. She felt the summit gave her a chance to take the first steps on her future teaching journey.
 
“I’ve liked it here because I’ve been able to relax and be myself,” Valerie said. “I feel comfortable being here.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

TCA students till up top marks at state land judging contest

Each acre of land in Nebraska tells a different story with its surface texture, soil depth and erosion potential.
 
The Career Academy (TCA)’s National FFA Organization members interpreted each of those soil-based tales in best-selling fashion in late October.
 
Four Lincoln Public Schools students wrote successful novels at the Nebraska State Land Judging Contest Oct. 25. Isabel Cressler, Parker Smith, Sapphire Guzman and Johanna Roux qualified for the national contest with their work on land near Broken Bow.

“I was so excited,” Cressler said. “I started practicing a little less than two months ago, so state or nationals didn’t seem in the cards for me. I’m excited to see where this adventure takes us.”

Cressler said the group was overjoyed with the state results. TCA finished fifth of 46 teams with 1,012 points. Cressler earned second place in individual standings and Smith captured fifth place.
 
The top five state teams – Falls City, Wisner-Pilger, Alma, Bishop Neumann and The Career Academy – booked trips to El Reno, Okla. It is the first time TCA has qualified for nationals. The program has won the area land judging contest once and advanced to state three times.

 
Tom Wheeldon is the advisor of the focus program’s FFA chapter, which was chartered in 2015. He said the team’s work ethic and positive demeanor made a difference at land judging events this fall.
 
“This team is great to work with,” Wheeldon said. “Very positive and they do not quit. At area contest they judged by Branched Oak Lake in the mud and in Broken Bow on a misty, cold, foggy day.”
 
Wheeldon said land judging is an activity that provides many educational benefits for students.
 
“The contest has three parts – physical features, classing the land and selection of recommended treatments,” Wheeldon said. “You learn problem solving, teamwork, organizational skills and estimating of slope, erosion, soil depth and textures. This is a hands-on and thinking person’s contest.”
 
Lower Loup Natural Resources District General Manager Russell Callan agreed. Officials from the Lower Loup NRD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) hosted state action.
 
“As Nebraska’s largest natural resources district, which stretches from the eastern Sandhills in the west to fertile farm ground in the east, the soil types within the Lower Loup NRD are diverse,” Callan said. “Getting Nebraska’s high school students out onto the landscape is a great way for them to learn about our state’s natural resources.”

 
Hundreds of students from all corners of Nebraska participate in land judging each year. The activity’s goal is for them to understand soil structure of different land parcels. They learn how to recognize physical features of the soil and determine land capability for crop production. They also evaluate what management and stewardship practices landowners should take.
 
Students qualified for the state land judging event at seven area contests earlier this fall. Each team included four students from the same FFA chapter. TCA students advanced to state after doing well at a site near Branched Oak State Recreation Area on Oct. 4.
 
State participants competed under damp and foggy conditions on the eastern edge of Broken Bow. They used an evaluation card to judge four soil pits on a terraced landscape. They assessed soil depth, erosion potential, surface texture, permeability, slope and thickness of each plot of land.
 
State judges rated each student’s evaluation card to determine individual and team scores. All of the top five teams surpassed 1,000 points.
 
Wheeldon said TCA students had fun traveling to state. In addition to meeting many of their peers for the first time, it was also a new experience to be in the central part of Nebraska.
 
“Students learned that each site or location in the state can be different, but if you train you can figure it out. Never quit and be coachable,” Wheeldon said.

 
Cressler said she was happy when she arrived at the state site. This year’s land judging contest took place on several acres that are currently enrolled in the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
 
“I work on prairies during the summer, so when state was on CRP that almost matched my prairies, needless to say I was excited,” Cressler said.
 
The state land judging award is the latest FFA accomplishment for the TCA program. TCA students represent LPS in five FFA leadership development events and ten career development events.
 
TCA won the agriculture biotechnology team title at last spring’s State FFA Convention. Students also earned two team awards in agriculture demonstration and individual honors in agriculture biotechnology, agriculture demonstration, natural resources speaking and senior public speaking.

 
Cressler, Smith, Guzman and Roux will join more than 500 students at the Canadian County Expo Center near Oklahoma City. The National Land and Range Judging Contest will happen April 30-May 2.
 
Smith said he was looking forward to the national event. He felt TCA students would have fun telling successful stories about their land judging skills in Oklahoma.
 
“It was really exciting to find out we made it to nationals,” Smith said.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students go the extra mile at special track camp

Jenna Rogers wants everyone to experience the soaring feeling she gets each time she flies over the high jump bar.
 
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln track and field star helped local students have those same types of joyful moments through a special mini-camp.
 
Rogers and her UNL teammates hosted the Everybody Plays mini-camp for Lincoln Public Schools students. The final event of the four-week program took place Nov. 15 at Bob Devaney Sports Center’s indoor track and field complex.
 
LPS elementary students with disabilities and their siblings created many memories throughout the mini-camp. Rogers said she was thrilled to help them have those special moments on the UNL campus.
 
“My favorite thing about this camp is being able to build relationships with the kids,” Rogers said. “It’s awesome. It’s such a good feeling to see everyone happy when they’re here.”
 
Daphne, a fifth-grade student at Morley Elementary School, beamed as she finished her turn leaping in the long jump. She said she has become good friends with Rogers and other UNL athletes. Rogers later watched with pride as Daphne threw plastic balls for the shot put and ran in a shuttle-hurdle relay race.
 
“I like how they’re teaching everyone to be really nice,” Daphne said. “It’s really fun for everyone.”
 
Rogers, a junior at UNL, wanted to make sure her time in Lincoln included just as much success away from the track as on it. The Rutherford, N.J., native won the Big Ten Conference high jump title during last spring’s outdoor season. She said her family’s connections with disabilities inspired her to launch the mini-camp in 2022.
 
“I have two cousins who have autism, so this is something that means a lot to me,” said Rogers, who is a two-time All-Big Ten Academic Team member. “I knew when I got here I wanted to do something to help other people, and I thought this would be a good way to do that.”
 
Cindy Brunken, a special education team leader and speech-language pathologist at LPS, said she was immediately interested when she learned about the possibility for the mini-camp. The LPS Special Education Department and the life skills program in the UNL Athletic Department have had a Ventures In Partnership (VIP) relationship for more than 35 years.
 
Tom Osborne worked closely with VIP programs in his former roles as UNL athletics director and head football coach. Osborne expected UNL athletes to give back to others through initiatives like School is Cool, American Education Week and Link N’ Leaders. Brunken said the Everybody Plays mini-camp fit in well with that history of community service.
 
“Each summer, we review the events we have offered for years and try to think of new ideas to add to our offerings,” Brunken said. “Last year, Jenna Rogers proposed this idea and we put it together as a pilot.”
 
Sixteen LPS students with disabilities participated in 2022 and 13 were involved this year. All of their siblings were welcome to join in on the fun, which increased the total number of participants past 25. Parents and grandparents were also invited to watch children play in the track and field complex.
 
Everyone did stretches and jumping jacks in a circle before rotating through different track and field stations. Students threw plastic javelins, cleared tiny hurdles and leapt over a flexible high-jump bar. They gathered together for a relay race before receiving certificates of completion from Rogers, who greeted each student with a big smile.
 
All of the Huskers displayed the same expressions as Kalynn Meyer, who watched with happiness as students raced down the long jump runway towards the sandpit. Meyer is a two-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team and heard about the event from Rogers last year. The UNL junior said she was eager to experience those smiles on a firsthand basis this fall.
 
“Jenna talked about doing this last year, and I was really excited to get a chance to help,” Meyer said. “This is my first year and I’ve had a really good time. It’s been so much fun to get to meet the kids and families.”
 
Rogers said it has been incredible to watch close-knit bonds form between the Huskers and local students. Brooklyn Miller gave high-fives to students as they soared into the sandpit, Riley Masten helped them successfully transfer the relay baton and Josh Marcy grinned as students asked him to raise or lower the high-jump bar.
 
Rogers said she wants everyone in the Lincoln community to experience those same joyful moments for many years to come.
 
“I’d like to see this keep going long after I’ve graduated,” Rogers said. “Hopefully this is something that will grow year by year, because it’s just a really awesome thing to be a part of.”

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students strike up friendships through unified bowling

Lincoln Northeast High School student Sydney walked into the conference unified bowling tournament wearing a stylish hat that featured many green shamrocks.
 
Her hat represented the lucky and deeply rewarding day everyone experienced at the bowling alley.
 
Unified bowling teams from East, Northeast, North Star, Southeast, Southwest and Lincoln High gathered at Sun Valley Lanes & Games on Nov. 20 for the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament. Unified bowling partners students with and without disabilities to participate in the sport together. 

Sydney said she has made many friends through the program. She bowled on Southwest’s team during the coronavirus pandemic and has been on Northeast’s roster ever since. She said her four years in the activity have been fun.
 
“I like it because I like bowling,” Sydney said.
 
Michael is enrolled in classes at Southwest. He has been bowling for the Silver Hawks for four years and has enjoyed talking with each of his teammates. He also said he liked trying to do well in the sport.
 
“My goal is to hit the pins and get a strike,” Michael said.
 
Southwest journalism teacher Brandi Benson has helped coach the school’s unified bowling team for seven years. She said students in the program focus on more than just strikes, spares and perfect scores. Their biggest goal is to build an inclusive community that helps all people feel valuable.
 
“The thing we take pride in is watching the ripple effect that happens outside of bowling,” Benson said. “We’re trying to create an open door at school that gives students from all backgrounds more opportunities to interact with each other.”
  
Unified bowling is sanctioned by the Nebraska School Activities Association and features regular-season, district and state tournaments. The program’s goal is to provide meaningful partnerships between students with and without intellectual disabilities.
 
Students in grades 9-12 form each five-person team. Teams must have at least one athlete and two partners playing in the game. Special education students are called athletes and students without disabilities are called partners.
 
Southwest students Mary Beth, Broklyn and Brandon said they have learned a lot from being partners in unified bowling. Mary Beth and Broklyn are both juniors and are in their third years with the program.
 
“It’s really fun,” Mary Beth said. “I’ve made a lot of new friends by being involved with the team.”
 
“I started freshman year and it’s been a fun experience,” Broklyn said. “I get a lot of excitement and joy from seeing how everyone on the team is having fun. It’s been really good.”
 
Brandon is participating in unified bowling for the first time this season. He said he was glad about his decision to try out for the team.
 
“I’ve liked it because I’ve been able to meet a lot of new people,” Brandon said. “I like helping people and this has given me a chance to do that.”
 
Benson said unified bowling has also given students opportunities to broaden their friendship circles outside of their building. Students from all six LPS schools in the HAC see each other at meets during the fall season, and those connections remain intact throughout the year. Lincoln Northwest also offers the sport and has become part of the unified bowling family.
 
“It’s been so much fun to watch these relationships happen across the entire district,” Benson said. “A lot of these kids participate in other unified activities too, so it’s something that’s ongoing.”
 
Athletes, partners and coaches gave hundreds of high-fives and smiles to each other throughout the HAC Tournament. Teams from Columbus, Fremont, Grand Island, Kearney and Norfolk joined LPS schools for action on the bowling lanes.
 
Each team began the day by bowling first-round games to determine who would advance to a bracket-style tournament. The top eight teams then competed in a match-play format. Fremont defeated Grand Island 636-586 in the championship contest.
 
Benson said activities like unified bowling are helping students build bridges between special education and general education every day.
 
“It teaches them that some things are bigger than winning,” Benson said. “While we certainly like to do well, the score’s not important in the grand scheme of things. They’re learning how to build a strong community with each other and how to make new friends. Those are things that they’re going to take with them the rest of their lives.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Spartans create winning algorithms with computer science fair activities

East High School senior Darian would like to use her computer science knowledge to create technological breakthroughs in the field of veterinary medicine.
 
The future geneticist and entrepreneur is using the school’s computer science program as a launching pad for her goals.
 
Darian joined hundreds of her classmates Dec. 5 during the East Computer Science Fair. Also known as the Hour of Code, the event is designed to promote interest in computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. The activities gave students in grades 9-12 a chance to learn about computer science concepts outside of a classroom setting.
 
Darian said she was happy to join her friends at the fair. She is interested in computer science and STEM topics because they will allow her to help others in the future.
 
“I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of it,” said Darian, who wants to double major in computer science and business administration in college. “I like figuring out how to improve something that might not be the most efficient. It’s fun to find a solution where we can use technology and coding to make something better.”
 
East math teacher Bryan Baxter enjoys watching students like Darian explore a wide variety of activities. Baxter and members of the school’s Computer Science Honor Society Club organized the day. Students from more than a dozen math courses filled tables in the east gym during their class periods.
 
This year marked the first time the Hour of Code event was held in the gym. Baxter asked club members last spring if they supported changing the makeup of the fair, and they enthusiastically agreed to make it their main project for the fall semester. They moved it from the auditorium, added more interactive lessons and invited students from every math class to attend. East held the event during Computer Science Education Week. 
 
“It’s been really nice to see how their work has turned out,” Baxter said. “This is the first year we’ve done it like this, and the kids have done a great job. It’s turned out really well.”
 
Baxter said the change in location was an important part of the fair’s success this year. Instead of trying to accommodate all activities on the auditorium stage, the gym provided students with more room to set up tables and include additional stations. Participants could also move more easily throughout the gym and explore every aspect of the fair.
 
Seventy-six students from a variety of math classes examined different STEM-based lessons during fifth period. One of those was sophomore Ryan, who spent time working on a laptop-based coding game.
 
“I think it’s fun to do coding and to see how it works,” Ryan said. “I enjoy it.”
 
Darian joined several of her friends in another section of the gym for a binary bracelet activity. They used a binary decoder key to find the first letter of their name. They then used multicolored beads to create a binary code pattern that matched that letter of the alphabet.
 
They completed the project by stringing the beads together on a bracelet. The activity gave students a visual representation of how computers use binary code to store information.
 
Dozens of students sat at eight tables in one corner of the gym to solve Rubik’s cubes, and others had fun operating a Turning Tumbles game – a marble-based problem-solving activity – in the opposite corner. They also examined the interior hardware of a laptop computer, saw what the inside of an arcade game looked like and visited with representatives from several colleges.
 
Baxter spoke with students during each session of the Hour of Code and offered assistance at the stations. He received positive feedback from many mathematicians as they shared their excitement about the day.
 
Baxter said he has been encouraged with the rising interest in computer science at East. The school has three student clubs that are devoted to the topic – Girls Who Code Club, Computer Science Club and Computer Science Honor Society Club – and all of them are growing.
 
“Computer Science Club had been in the single digits, and this year we have more than 20 students,” Baxter said. “The numbers are definitely up for the other two clubs too. It’s really exciting to see that happen.”
 
Darian has developed many friendships by being a member of all three clubs. She founded the Girls Who Code Club in October 2021 and has been instrumental in spreading knowledge of STEM subjects throughout the school. She said the fair highlighted how many opportunities East students have to create winning algorithms in computer science.
 
“It’s really awesome what we have here at East,” Darian said.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

2023 LPS Culinary Competition

On Wednesday, December 6, The Career Academy hosted the annual Lincoln Public Schools Culinary Competition.  More than 200 LPS students participated in the event, showcasing various culinary skills. The results from the day's competition can be found below. 

Culinary I Events

Knife Skills  44 entries

1st - Lucia Perez Roman, Lincoln High

2nd - Avery Fletcher, Lincoln High

3rd - Summer Ullman, Lincoln Northeast

4th - Sally Almotawa, Lincoln Southwest

5th - Genesis Moreno, Lincoln Northeast

6th - Izzie Kiser, Lincoln Southwest

Quiz Bowl  7 Teams
             
1st - Standing Bear High School

Adelyn Haden, Brinley Beerenstrauch, Jessica Sadler, Novalee Hutter

2nd - Lincoln Southeast High School

Kiarah Canby, Satore King, Cristian Hain, Hudson Witte

Nutrition Poster 
 
1st - Georgia Morrow, Lincoln Northeast

2nd - Logan Burbach, Lincoln High

 
Culinary II Events

Quiz Bowl 4 Teams

1st - Lincoln Southeast High School

Anthony Steen, Ava Neumayer, Betsy Rajala, Makenna Sherman

2nd - Lincoln High School

Emma Loving, Clementine Haffey, Allison Kwiatkowski, Lyla Talbott

Safety & Sanitation Poster 
 
1st - Rachel Koch, Lincoln East

2nd - Laila Al-Mugotir and Gizelle Bell, Lincoln Northeast

3rd - Audrey Chan, Lincoln Southeast

Sauces 22 Entries

1st - Tristan McGill, Lincoln Southeast

2nd - Eli Fiedler, Lincoln Southeast

3rd - Easton Cook, Bryan Community Focus Program

Salads 21 Entries
 
1st - Maya Kunc, Lincoln Southeast

2nd - Brigitte Palomares, Lincoln Northwest

Decorated Cookie  20 Entries

1st - Emma Loving, Lincoln High

2nd - Rachel Koch, Lincoln East

3rd - Amber Ortega, TCA

Decorated Cookie Pre-manufactured base 

1st - Isabelle Bausch, Lincoln Southeast

2nd - Lili Sorensen, Lincoln Southeast

3rd - Lucy Cogan, Lincoln Southeast

Culinary III Events

Dessert Plating  5 Entries
 
1st - Kyyon Nguyen, Lincoln Southwest

2nd - McKenzie Fuller, Lincoln High

3rd - Ella Cowan, TCA

Team Entree - High School Division 4 Entries

1st - LSW Green

2nd - TCA

3rd - LSW Silver

4th - Lincoln High 

School Spirit Award: Lincoln High School  For showcasing school spirit, attentiveness and participation in demonstrating excellent sportsmanship during the Culinary Competition!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Falcons, Spartans make state memories with successful one-act play performances

Students from Lincoln Northwest and Lincoln East wrote state-level success stories with their efforts in one-act play contests.
 
Both teams competed in the Nebraska School Activities Association state play production championships Dec. 8 in Norfolk. East represented Lincoln Public Schools in Class A and Northwest participated in Class B.
 
The Falcons and Spartans made school history under the state spotlight. Northwest students qualified for state for the first time, while East collected just the sixth state berth in program history. The Spartans also qualified in 1977, 1979, 1982, 2021 and 2022.
 
Northwest
Northwest students captured a fourth-place prize at the Johnny Carson Theatre. The Falcons performed “Lafayette No. 1” for an auditorium full of fans, judges and fellow actors and actresses.
 
Samm Hanks directed the play, Kai Jorgensen was assistant director and Jenna Williamson was theater technician. Hanks said she was thrilled with the group’s effort on stage.
 
“I am so proud of my students,” Hanks said. “It is amazing that we could accomplish this our second year as a department and my first year with the district. It’s a real testament to how amazing our students are!”
 
A panel of three judges reviewed each state play. They awarded schools a maximum of 60 points in the categories of voice, characterization, ensemble, timing, staging and overall effectiveness.
 
Judges also ranked each school’s performance with numbers of one to six. The total rank served as a tiebreaker if judges gave two or more teams an equal number of points.
 
Northwest and Minden each received 169 points. The Falcons earned fourth place with a total rank of 12. Minden received a total rank of 14.
 
The Falcons qualified for state by winning the District B-3 championship. Northwest scored 178 points and claimed the Outstanding Technical Crew Award at districts.
 
Northwest cast members included Lisa Adolphi, Lennon Barrett, Savannah Bauer, Da’Vion Bland, Brooklyn Gibson, Ada Hanson, Imari Harris, Amelia Hart, Madison Lemons, Madilyn Maguire, Roslynn Provance, Emily Paffrath, Elsy Hanson, Amelia Coughlin, Margaret Miller, Riley Levos, Jayden Heinlein, Olivia Butters, Isabella Butters, Grant Johnson, Charlotte Coughlin, Bianca Vannier, Jonah Hagge, Nicholas Niedbalski, Kimberly Menendez, Adjoua Boko, Cassandra Colgrove, Ellie Ramirez, Madelyn McIntosh, Beaudon Brown, Emelia McInteer and Jonah Forry.
 
Technical crew members included Savannah Alder, Madison Ball, Constanza Barreras Ponce, Jayden Bedea, Hailey Chadd, Cade Chiles, Audrey Coatney, Anna Fullerton, Xavier Hamilton, Cassidy Hanson, Mesa Koertje, Karen Mendoza, Eli Retzlaff, Halley Seyler, Kaylee Stearman, Regan Swedlund and Natalie Williams.

Hanks said she felt the Falcons learned a great deal from their state experience.
 
“I think the biggest thing my students learned at state was how to hold onto their strengths and abilities in the face of a challenge,” Hanks said. “We were the only state-qualifying school in Class B that was not previously at state the year prior. That was pretty daunting to us, but the kids did a great job of pushing themselves to compete.”
 
Class B State Play Production Team Results
York 179, Omaha Concordia 177, Ogallala 173, Lincoln Northwest 169 (won tiebreaker), Minden 169, Schuyler 165
 
East
The Spartans collected fifth place at state with their performance of “A Monster Calls.” Helen Cooper directed the play and Erin Bell and Pat Vendetti were assistant directors.
 
Cooper said it was an honor for the group to compete in Norfolk. Judges gave East 171 points and a total rank of 12.
 
“I cannot express how proud I am of the entire cast and crew for putting their hearts and souls into this production,” Cooper said. “The subject matter – loss, grief, guilt, loneliness – took maturity and vulnerability. The show was physically arduous on our ensemble and emotionally taxing on our leads. The tech elements were the most involved they have ever been.
 
“Every single team member dedicated themselves to weeks of rehearsal and I will never not be thankful for that. This is our third year in a row going to state, and the kids in this production are the ones who have built the foundation for that success.”

 
East cast members included Max Apel, Claire Rooney, Nusrat Amin, Evan Volkmer, Maggie Lammie, Dasha Muller, Ashley Nabb, Sam Nabb, Linnea Blankenhorn, Delton Dellinger, Hope Gibbons, Ethan Phan, Ava Schmit, Zachary Johannes, Berkley Nielsen, Myles Hardt, Jack Welstead, Ava Swank, Alexandria Hansen, Lilly Pannier, Margeaux Allen, Piper Beran, Ava Chapin, Helina Cooper, Ella Halvorsen and Lillian Jimenez-McBride.
 
Members of the technical crew included Alexa Boyce, Georgia Eberhardt, Raiyn Elerson, Avery Fast, Adison Harris, Rachel Hoffman, Cing Kip Hung, Melinda Lierz, Trenton Morales, Cing Muang, Zoey Ott, Emily Schmersal, Cinae Schneider, Mimi Strong, Eloisa Swinehart and Jerrica Zhang.
 
The Spartans advanced to state with a runner-up finish in the District A-2 Meet. Gretna East collected 177 points and Lincoln East was second with 176 points.
 
The school pocketed two major district honors. East won the Outstanding Technical Crew Award and Nusrat Amin earned the Outstanding Female Performer Award.
 
Cooper said she was happy to see the Spartans gain many lifelong skills during their state-qualifying season.
 
“All of them learned what it is to work as a team,” Cooper said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever quite gotten to that team aspect in past productions, and that was my favorite part to watch.”
 
Class A State Play Production Team Results
Gretna East 179, Malcolm 175 (rank of 7), Gretna 176 (rank of 8), Fremont 172, Lincoln East 171, Kearney 164
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students win state, will compete nationally with constitutional knowledge

Lincoln Public Schools students received positive verdicts for their knowledge of the United States Constitution at a statewide contest.
 
High school teams from East, North Star, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest took part in the “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” competition Dec. 18. A team from East won the state title and Southwest students earned runner-up honors.
 
Both groups qualified for this spring’s national We the People contest. The national finals will be held April 13-15 in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Leesburg, Va.
 
LPS K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Specialist Jaci Kellison said she was proud of the work local students did at this year’s state event, which took place at the University of Nebraska College of Law. Ryan Salem led two Southwest teams and Kevin Rippe (East), Dave Nebel (Southeast), Jace Ahlberg (North Star) and Danna Moore (Northwest) each coached one team.
 
All groups were filled with students from senior-level AP Government classes except for Northwest, which had a roster comprised of sophomores. Southeast, North Star, Northwest and Southwest’s second team earned honorable mention awards for their efforts. Northwest made the school’s first trip to state.
 
“The We the People program provides students with the opportunity to consider multiple perspectives about important constitutional issues,” Kellison said. “Students learn how to research, prepare a statement and engage in civil dialogue with peers. During the competition, students showcase their skills in front of many professionals in the field, including judges and attorneys.
 
“The knowledge, skills and experience they gain through engagement with the program empowers students to be informed and active members of their community.”
 
The 2023 results duplicated the strong performances of LPS teams in previous years. East students won 15 state titles from 2005-22 and Southeast squads claimed two championships in that timespan.
 
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation (NSBF) sponsors the annual event, which is based on a national program developed by the Center for Civic Education. NSBF representative Pam Carrier said she was impressed with how Nebraska students performed at state.
 
“Each year, I am gratified to see the competency and excellency of all the students participating in the We the People competition,” Carrier said. “All of the individuals who judge the hearings of each of the school teams comment on the high quality of their knowledge, critical thinking and presentation skills. I have judges who come back year after year because they see the value of the We the People program to each student who participates.”
 
Carrier said it was essential for students to learn about constitutional issues both for personal and public reasons.
 
“I cannot think of anything more important for democracy in America than having students who understand the history of the Constitution, its provisions, its interpretations, how it is applied and how it affects the country and their future,” Carrier said.
 
We the People students take part in a simulated hearing of Congress. They explain their knowledge of constitutional democracy to judges who act as U.S. representatives and senators. Volunteer judges have included Nebraska Supreme Court justices, college and university professors, high school teachers and current and retired attorneys.
 
Teams in the 2023 contest answered questions about six main themes. These included the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system, how the Founding Fathers created the Constitution, how the Constitution has been changed over the years, how the document has shaped American institutions and practices, what personal protections are in the Bill of Rights and what challenges the American constitutional democracy system might face in the future.
 
Students used many reference materials to prepare a four-minute opening statement about each theme. They were allowed to read from their notes during their initial presentations. They had to include text from the Constitution, illustrate real-world impacts of constitutional principles and reference key events or influential figures in American history.
 
Judges then asked teams relevant follow-up questions for six minutes to gauge their level of knowledge about each topic. Students could not use notes to respond to the follow-up questions.
 
Judges used a scoring rubric to rank teams. They evaluated both the prepared presentations and impromptu follow-up responses by students.
 
Students and coaches celebrated Rippe at this year’s event. Everyone in the room applauded after Carrier honored him on behalf of the NSBF. Rippe has led East teams at We the People contests for more than two decades. He is currently a grant coordinator for the Promises Project in the LPS Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.
 
Carrier felt the country’s future was bright because of what she has seen LPS students accomplish at We the People events.
 
“For all these students, they have a competency level on history and the Constitution that would rival many adults,” Carrier said. “I see the future of democracy in the ability of these students to ferret out the facts and develop their opinions.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students win blue-chip awards in state stock market contest

Lincoln Public Schools students padded their educational portfolios with top scores in a state stock market contest.
 
Local students took part in the Nebraska Stock Market Game during the fall semester. Two teams from Lincoln Northeast finished in the top ten spots of the high school division, and middle school groups from Moore, Park and Pound earned similar recognition for their efforts.
 
LPS Secondary Computer Science Coordinator Julie Hippen said she was thrilled with the results. The Nebraska Council on Economic Education (NCEE) sponsors the contest each year. A total of 353 high school teams and 93 middle school squads from all corners of Nebraska played the game this fall.
 
“This competition is a way for students to experience the concepts they are learning in their class,” Hippen said. “It is a huge accomplishment to have students place so well among their peers across the state!”
 
Lindsay Tillinghast leads the Nebraska Business Focus Program at Standing Bear High School and is director of the NCEE’s center in Lincoln. She said a large number of LPS students have benefited from the game. Teams of two to five players compete in one of three divisions: elementary (grades 4-5), junior high/middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12).
 
“The Nebraska Stock Market Game provides an opportunity for students to explore and practice investing in real time with low stakes,” Tillinghast said. “The goal of the Stock Market Game is for students to gain comfort with reading, researching and making securities purchases to better prepare students with investment decisions in the future. We want to equip teachers and students with the skills to be able to understand their investment choices and increase access for all students.”
 
Hippen said LPS high school students played the game this semester as part of their wealth building and financial management class. Middle school students in the ‘business 8’ course kept track of their stock portfolios in the contest.
 
Each team received $100,000 in a virtual cash account at the start of the 13-week game. Their goal was to grow their virtual treasury of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments as much as possible. They could monitor their portfolios on a daily basis and could trade stocks in real time.

Tillinghast said students incorporated their knowledge of subjects such as math, business, economics, language arts and social studies into the game. Players needed to keep track of daily events at local, state, national and international levels, as breaking news could impact the value of a stock. They also researched the history of various companies to see if they would be wise stock selections.

Hippen and Tillinghast said students also learned skills such as leadership, organization, negotiation and cooperation. They had to work together to make decisions and had to be responsible about checking their portfolios.

 
Two teams at Lincoln Northeast captured prominent honors in the high school division. Students in Jeff Fagler’s business class earned first place with a final portfolio amount of $117,653.60. Students in Shanda Dinneen’s business class collected eighth place with $114,113.70.
 
Five LPS teams finished in the top ten of the middle school division. Students in Ashley Huppert’s business class at Moore earned championship ($112,201.78) and runner-up ($111,007.08) honors.
 
Students in Laura Brouillette’s class at Park earned seventh ($107,307.18) and eighth ($106,768.38) places. Members of Dani Fusco’s class at Pound pocketed tenth place with $106,082.72.
 
The NCEE is sponsoring a similar game for the spring semester that will run through April 5. Elementary, middle and high school teams can begin playing at any time.
 
NCEE officials will honor students from 18 teams at a Banquet of Champions awards ceremony at the end of the spring semester. Members of the top three teams from each age division in both the fall and spring will be recognized. They will receive team trophies and individual medals and certificates for their work.
 
Fall 2023 Top Ten High School Division Teams
1) Lincoln Northeast - $117,653.60, 2) Seward - $116,221.50, 3) Nebraska City - $115,665.85, 4) Seward - $115,609.07, 5) Seward - $114,873.82, 6) Hastings - $114,473.49, 7) Seward - $114,349.52, 8) Lincoln Northeast - $114,113.70, 9) Plattsmouth - $114,079.25, 10) Plattsmouth - $113,736.85
 
Fall 2023 Top Ten Middle School Division Teams
1) Moore Middle School - $112,201.78, 2) Moore Middle School - $111,007.08, 3) Columbus - $110,108.73, 4) Central City - $109,429.47, 5) Columbus - $109,363.71, 6) Arlington - $108,385.28, 7) Park Middle School - $107,307.18, 8) Park Middle School - $106,768.38, 9) Columbus - $106,703.57, 10) Pound Middle School - $106,082.72

Posted on September 25, 2024

Culler teacher Teresa Ghormley pens musical for middle school students

Teresa Ghormley was scanning through scripts of potential musicals this summer without finding anything she felt excited about using for her Culler Middle School students.
 
She decided the best solution was to write her own storyline for them to perform on stage.
 
Twenty-eight Cougars have been working on lines, lyrics and songs for “Bobbie the Kid and the Tiger Gang.” Ghormley penned the musical about pacifist residents of a Western town called Pickens.

The score features bluegrass-style instruments such as a fiddle, banjo, mandolin and piano influenced by the educator’s roots. She even called on her father to play in the live bluegrass band for the production. The musical’s plot teaches students how to do the right thing in every situation.
 
Ghormley said she has enjoyed watching students bring her script to life. She said she has been impressed with their imagination and ingenuity during every step of the process.
 
“It’s been really fun,” Ghormley said. “When you’re writing it you imagine it going one way, and then the kids do it slightly different, and it’s a better way. It’s pretty awesome to see their creativity with this musical.”
 
Ghormley has taught instrumental music at Culler for the past seven years. She earned degrees from both Hastings High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before beginning her teaching career. She previously helped with music and theater productions at Columbus Public Schools before taking over the band and orchestra programs at Culler.
 
Ghormley owns extensive experience in band, orchestra, choir and theater activities. One of her favorite types of music is bluegrass, and she wanted to share those notes with her students in the play. That background gave her the idea of writing a Western-themed production that was both humorous and heartwarming.

Ghormley said the common thread running through the plot of the play is that the town was founded by pacifists. As the story unfolds, the audience watches the infamous Tiger Gang rob Bobbie several times. She explores her pacifist ideals in the face of the injustice she has suffered.
 
“In the end, she finds a way to save the day and learns that if you are brave and clever, you can always find a way to do what’s right,” Ghormley said.
 
Seventh-grade student Connelly plays the role of Bessie in the production. She said cast members have enjoyed being the first group to perform Ghormley’s musical.
 
“It’s a lot of fun,” Connelly said. “We were all very excited when she told us she had written it.”
 
Sixth-grade student Elsa is filling the leading role of Bobbie the Kid. Her older sister Lydia had performed in plays under Ghormley when she was at Culler, and she encouraged Elsa to try out for “Bobbie the Kid and the Tiger Gang.”
 
“My friends wanted me to be in it with them, and my sister was in it last year too,” Elsa said. “She said it would be a lot of fun to be in the play, so I thought I would do it. I’m glad I did. I’ve been having a lot of fun too.”
 
Elsa delivers several solos throughout the 40-minute musical. She has used her singing experience to handle the spotlight with ease. She performs in choirs both at Culler and her local church.
 
“It’s fun to sing,” Elsa said.
 
Seventh-grade student A.J. is filling the role of Old Hank on stage. She said she has met new friends from all grade levels during practices this fall.
 
“I really like theater,” A.J. said. “I like being around a bunch of people, so this has been really good.”
 
Ghormley said one of her top goals was to write a script that gave many students opportunities to shine.
 
“There are a lot of plays out there where you have one or two leading roles and everyone else is in the background, so it was important to me to have a lot of kids on stage,” Ghormley said. “Everyone is pretty much on stage the whole time, which is something that I think helps. Everyone has an important part to play.”
 
Ghormley has also trusted students with many responsibilities. None of the characters except for Bobbie the Kid, Bessie and Old Hank had names in the original script, so students were able to choose what they called their characters. They also selected their own costumes and helped paint set-design props such as four prickly cacti.
 
“They’ve taken ownership of the entire show,” Ghormley said. “I’ve been really proud of them. They’ve done such a great job of making this their musical.”
 
Culler students began practicing in September and held their first dress rehearsal Nov. 6. They practiced with the full pit band Nov. 9 and held two public performances Nov. 10.
 
The musical was the first performance in Culler’s newly-renovated auditorium. Donors contributed nearly $130,000 for auditorium updates through the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools.
 
Connelly said she was glad Ghormley decided to write the musical.
 
“There are a lot of chances to meet fun people and do fun things together,” Connelly said. “I’ve liked it a lot.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Walking Together with Love: 2024 MLK Youth Rally

Lincoln Public Schools students and community members braved the cold to allow Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy to march on at the 29th annual MLK Youth Rally on Jan. 20. 

LPS middle and high school scholars spent months organizing the event as a part of the planning committee. Students filled the rally with speeches and other special performances like songs and spoken word pieces to reflect on the civil rights leader’s work and call the community to continue his vision. 

“I think this is a really good way to expand my education on the inequalities and differences between communities,” Southeast High School sophomore Addison said. “I think that it's really powerful for youth to be speaking.” 

Addison has served on the MLK Youth Rally planning committee for three years. She and her peers work diligently to commemorate Dr. King’s legacy through youth empowerment and amplifying their voices.

“I want people to take away that you know, their life, their story matters, whatever that may be,” Lincoln High senior Jeremiah said. This is also his second year serving on the event’s planning committee. 

The rally also features some of the school district’s youngest change agents – the Belmont Track Scholars. The group includes fifth-grade students like Jazhiel who was inspired by past participants to take action toward Dr. King’s dream.

“I just want to join because I just saw how powerful they are,” he said. “They're just so powerful. It gives me chills when I'm around them.” 

“It proves that it can start at any age, like just look at the Belmont Scholars. They're so powerful and their voices are so strong,” Addison said. 

This year’s rally theme was “A walk together with love.” As the event appears in its 30th year, participants hope they can keep elevating student voices to inspire the change King envisioned for more years to come. 

“It retains the youth,” Jeremiah said. “It retains the youth and it helps the youth to know that this is a thing starting from a young age, so that when they do become young adults, and when they do transfer to being young adults, they know that this work is important and continue to work on it as adults. So that way, when the time comes, we can continue the fight for it.”

 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Arts and Humanities brings new life to recycled materials for community art exhibit

Dozens of Arts and Humanities Focus Program students get to express their creativity in a unique way. More than 30 young artists have their works on display at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln’s International Quilt Museum in connection with its Feed Sacks exhibit. 

The Arts and Humanities students built on the museum exhibit’s idea of reusing and repurposing to transform recycled materials into new creative works. Lincoln High senior Maron created a small coin purse out of scraps of flower-adorned fabric and leftover buttons. 

“With the art that I usually do, I really like doing collage,” Maron said. “So, it was really neat collaging actual fabrics together and also sewing them together to make a repurposed piece. It’s not something I’ve actually done before, like I haven’t collaged fabric before. It made me very happy that I got to repurpose that and then show it off at a whole entire gallery.” 

For weeks, the students studied other contemporary artists who curated works with reused items to draw inspiration as they made their own pieces. The project allowed the artists to stretch their strengths by exploring different mediums like jewelry and printmaking. 

Senior Anara revamped a 1940 parachute and designed a cloth jellyfish for the collection through this process. 

“I learned printmaking which is really fun and exciting. I also bettered my sewing skills, which I’ve barely sewed in my life before and my jellyfish is basically sown, so I learned a lot about sewing,” she said. 

“Students used the creative research cycle to ideate how they could create a piece that was personal to them but also responded to the materials they were using,” Arts and Humanities teacher Maggie Elsener said. 

The Arts and Humanities Focus Program is one of Lincoln Public Schools’ oldest focus programs. The experiential learning opportunity allows LPS high school students to explore their artistic and humanitarian interests. The program’s educators believe community partnerships with entities like the International Quilt Museum help emphasize the mission of the focus program. 

“It really makes me feel connected with my community at Arts and I'm happy that I was involved with it,” Maron said.

“We really do want students to think about their place in the world, but also how do they connect to the world at large,” Elsener said.

The Arts and Humanities exhibit at the International Quilt Museum opened at the beginning of February and will be on display through May.

If you’re interested in the Arts and Humanities Focus Program or want to apply for the 2024-2025 school year, visit https://arts.lps.org/.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Intramurals help LPS students coin success stories over past 40 years

Smiles were the currency of choice at Southeast High School during a recent celebration of the Lincoln Public Schools middle school intramurals program.
 
Dozens of LPS middle school students marked the 40th anniversary of valuable activities such as speech, debate and creative drama. They listened to former and current LPS students and teachers testify about the importance of intramurals in their lives. They then exchanged storylines, debate arguments and poetry presentations in classrooms.
 
Moore Middle School seventh-grade student Leah and Lux Middle School eighth-grade student Cora said they were happy to be in intramurals. Both said they would encourage other students to join in future years.
 
“It’s a lot of fun and there’s no harm learning about something like this,” Leah said.
 
“I think it’s really cool to be able to get a preview of these intramurals before you enter an actual team in high school,” Cora said. “It’s definitely why I joined.”
 
LPS alum Rhett Bothwell is a speech instructor with the program. Bothwell attended classes at Pershing Elementary School and Mickle Middle School before graduating from East High School in 2021. He said watching current students coin their success stories was rewarding.
 
“You can see exactly when you watch them what happens when they put their all into it, because they do, and that’s something a lot of teachers benefit from,” Bothwell said. “They get more of these kids’ all, because they know what it means to put their all in.”
 
Former Lincoln High teacher and theater director John Heineman and Ruth Kay, a former teacher at both Irving and Lefler middle schools, felt intramurals would benefit many seventh- and eighth-grade students. They approached Lincoln Board of Education members with a proposal for speech and debate activities on May 24, 1983. Board members enthusiastically green-lighted the request for the upcoming school year.
 
Intramurals initially took place after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the fall. In 1987, the school district moved the program to Saturday mornings of January and February and it has remained in that time slot ever since. Board members approved adding creative drama activities for sixth-grade students in 2003.
 
Sara Danielson, curriculum specialist for secondary English and language arts at LPS, said the eight-week program is open each year to all students enrolled at a LPS middle school. Some participate in solo speech categories such as informative, entertainment and humorous prose, and others take part in group activities.
 
Students from different schools work together to write skits and participate in speech and debate sessions. Family members watch them showcase their hard work during a public performance day.
 
Southeast High School paraeducator Michelle Stewart has been involved with intramurals for many years as both a facilitator and instructor. She felt the activities have paid a vast sum of educational dividends.
 
Smith said composure has been one of the most noticeable benefits she has seen. Students learn how to handle unexpected moments in all of their activities successfully. This teaches them how to turn life’s curveballs into home runs as adults.
 
“When something doesn’t go as planned, they can still swing with it and carry on without anyone noticing,” Stewart said.
 
Stewart said the middle school intramurals program is structured to help students collect different sets of skills. Sixth-grade participants learn about improvisation, teamwork, poise and public speaking through creative drama. Older students build more organized presentations with their formal speeches, and they improve their analytical abilities in their debate sessions. All of them gain friendships, confidence and critical thinking skills.
 
Cora and Leah said that has been true for them in debate this year. Ten students examined the topic of “Preschool should be mandatory for all children.” They didn’t know before the debate which side they would be assigned to present, which meant they might have to overcome personal preferences during the event.
 
Cora said that stretched their persuasive abilities and helped them grow.
 
“It’s one of those things that they encouraged us about too, kind of before,” Cora said. “That ability to argue something you don’t believe in.”
 
Bothwell said his time in intramurals opened many new doors in his life. He relied on his speech experiences in middle school to become a state qualifier on East’s speech and one-act play teams.
 
“If I hadn’t done that I would not have even attempted to go into speech. I was totally dead set on going into theater, and theater alone,” Bothwell said. “And then I didn’t make it into my first audition at theater, and speech was right there, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I should try it out.’ As soon as I tried out speech, the next year I was in every play and from then on, every play, every musical.”
 
Bothwell said he believed intramurals would continue to provide a large amount of educational income for every LPS participant.
 
“This is a great program,” Bothwell said. “I’m glad I’ve been a part of it for as long as I have, including when I was a student performing.”

Learn more about the Middle School Drama, Speech, Debate Intramurals Program on our website at https://home.lps.org/english/intramural-drama-speech-and-debate/.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Schoo students secure national recognition for literary magazine

Schoo Middle School students have used their writing talents to create literature as refreshing as a cool glass of lemonade.
 
Students earned national recognition for the 2023 edition of the “Philography” literary magazine. The school publication, entitled “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade,” features 81 pages of poetry, non-fiction and fiction writing and two artwork pieces.
 
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) honored Schoo students this winter through the Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) contest. They earned a Distinguished Award for their work. Student editors Maarib, Zoryana, Abiyo, Ren, Amalia, Madi, Maya, Shelby and Marianna oversaw the project as eighth graders.

 
Abiyo said all of the student editors were proud of what the team accomplished at Schoo. Abiyo is a freshman at Northwest High School this year and is enjoying success in both academics and activities.
 
“Working on the literary magazine at Schoo was a lot of fun,” Abiyo said. “I learned a lot about how to edit others’ work and help organize a literary magazine, which is something I never did until last school year.”
 
Eighth-grade English teacher Amanda Petersen said she was thrilled when REALM judges unveiled the national awards. Petersen has worked at Schoo for seven years and submitted the Philography edition to the contest. She and former Schoo teacher Mackenzie Santos were co-advisors of the magazine, but the student team edited and arranged all of the content.
 
“I was really pleased because we had never used student editors before, so to see students fully earn some recognition is really exciting,” Petersen said. “It was great to see that even though teachers were a little less hands-on, it was still able to do pretty well.”

 
Philography began in 2022 when Lincoln Public Schools included more creative writing in the middle school English curriculum. Former Schoo teacher Maggie Deschaine Wiehn, who now leads Northwest’s English department, created a literary magazine unit for students. She and Petersen did all of the editing for the inaugural magazine, which earned an Excellent Award in that year’s REALM contest.
 
Petersen and Santos began the 2023 magazine journey by teaching their classes how to identify and create poetry, non-fiction and fiction plots. Students made suggestions for the overall magazine theme before voting for the “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade” plan. They spent several class periods coming up with ideas for their individual projects before completing their submissions.
 
“My really big push is that I want every student to have a voice and express themselves, so we publish pretty much everything the students submit,” Petersen said. “Even if there are students who are like, ‘I don’t really want to submit,’ we ask them to do so, so they can get the feeling of what it’s like to see your work in a magazine. They can feel like it has purpose beyond just getting a grade.”

 
The 2023 Philography pieces tackled a wide variety of subjects. Some explored upbeat topics such as summer plans and creating artwork, but others focused on serious issues such as broken relationships, anxiety, acceptance and loneliness. Many students also incorporated the lemons-to-lemonade theme in their submissions.
 
“They’re stuck in a really big moment of transition in their life, and that is just heavy,” Petersen said. “The fact that they have exhausted feelings and emotions about it in one way or another is not surprising.”
 
Petersen and Santos asked Maarib, Zoryana, Abiyo, Ren, Amalia, Madi, Maya, Shelby and Marianna if they would be willing to be student editors. The nine Skyhawks stayed after school for several days reviewing every submission from their classmates.
 
“Our student editors did a fantastic job,” Petersen said. “There were quite a few of them and they all had to work together, they’re all from different classes and they’re not necessarily friends, so they did a really nice job coming together and being collaborative. Watching them piece it together and decide which pieces go where was very impressive.”
 
Abiyo said being a member of the student editor team was a rewarding experience.
 
“I learned a lot about the people who sent pieces to be in the magazine,” Abiyo said. “When I worked with the other student editors I wasn’t close with them at first, but with more meetings I started to learn more about people I thought I didn’t have anything in common with. It was cool to work together on the magazine.”

REALM judges used a scoring rubric to evaluate magazines from across the United States. They reviewed submissions from middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities.

 
North Star High School captured a Superior Award in the REALM contest. Student editors Aubrie and Gabby and faculty editor Katherine Hill guided the 2023 “Istoria” publication. Omaha Marian High School was the only other Nebraska award recipient.
 
Schoo students will learn the theme for the 2024 magazine at the start of the fourth quarter. They will vote on options for the cover-page illustration before submitting their pieces. Petersen said she is confident they will match the refreshing quality of the lemons-to-lemonade content.
 
“We’ll see what our students have this year when we start writing,” Petersen said. “I’m sure it will be something good.”

Click here to read more of the students' award-winning literary works. 
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students place at 2024 NSAA State Speech Championships

Fifty-one students from five LPS high schools traveled to Kearney on Wednesday, March 20, for the 2024 NSAA Class A State Speech Championships. Several students earned medals by placing in the top six for their events, and four of the teams placed in the top ten for overall team sweepstakes. 

A list of LPS state speech medalists can be found below.

Lincoln Southwest

Team Sweepstakes - Fifth place

Brooklyn Bruggeman & Jack Anderson - State Runners-up, Duo Interpretation

Brooklyn Shoemaker & Mason Farmer - Fourth place, Duo Interpretation

Claire Timperley - Third place, Informative Speaking

Maya Stevenson - Fourth place, Informative Speaking

Mason Farmer - Fourth place, Oral Interpretation of Poetry

Brooklyn Bruggeman - Fourth place, Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose

Lincoln East

Team Sweepstakes - State Champions

Claire Rooney & Jack Welstead - Third place, Duo Interpretation

Korben Ockander & Abena Bonsu - Fifth place, Duo Interpretation

Jack Welstead - Sixth place, Entertainment Speaking

Isabella Razdan - State Champion, Extemporaneous Speaking

Leo Goldberg - State Runner-up, Extemporaneous Speaking

Gavin Foust, Luke Nash, Annabeth Schubert, Amelia Schupbach and Sophia Wang - State Runners-up, Oral Interpretation of Drama

Ellie Hiser, Alex Jurrens, Vesta Anderson, Evan Volkmer and Harper Schupbach - Third place, Oral Interpretation of Drama

Max Apel - State Runner-up, Oral Interpretation of Humorous Prose

Claire Rooney - State Champion, Oral Interpretation of Poetry

Abena Bonsu - Third place, Oral Interpretation of Poetry

Max Apel - State Runner-up, Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose

Nusrat Amin - Fifth place, Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose

Leo Goldberg - State Runner-up, Persuasive Speaking

Max Apel - State Champion, Program Oral Interpretation

Jack Welstead - Third place, Program Oral Interpretation

Lincoln Southeast

Team Sweepstakes - Third place

DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey - State Champion, Entertainment Speaking

Lillias McKillip - State Champion, Informative Speaking

Olivia Nelson - State Runner-up, Informative Speaking

Lillias McKillip - Third place, Extemporaneous Speaking

Olivia Nelson - Third place, Oral Interpretation of Humorous Prose

Kalainey Nickel - Sixth place, Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose

Kalainey Nickel - Fourth place, Program Oral Interpretation

Lincoln North Star

Team Sweepstakes - Eighth place

Elijah Standeven - Fifth place, Oral Interpretation of Humorous Prose

Mabruka Mumade - Fifth place, Persuasive Speaking

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students excel at state debate contest

Students from five Lincoln Public Schools debate teams formed winning arguments at the Nebraska Speech Communication and Theatre Association (NSCTA) state championships.

Southwest High School hosted debate presenters from across the state March 22-23. High school students from Lincoln High, East, North Star, Southeast and Southwest took part in the event.

Debate students could reach several stages as they advanced through the contest. The octofinals represented the elimination round between the top 16 debaters in a tournament, and the quarterfinals marked the elimination round between the top eight debaters. Students who reached the semifinals earned spots in the top four places of the tournament.

Judges awarded speaker points to students for constructing and presenting their arguments effectively on stage. Debaters with the largest number of speaker points in a state category received a Speaker Award. This was calculated independently of the debater’s overall won-loss record at the tournament.

Students took part in policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, public forum debate and congressional debate categories. East had 26 students who competed in 18 events and Southwest had 18 students in 14 events. Ten Southeast students took part in nine events, North Star had three students in two events and Lincoln High had two students in two events.

East claimed the team championship after the final stages of the two-day tournament. Southwest captured third place and Southeast collected fourth place.

East’s Elaine Suh and Sarah Cai were state champions in the policy debate category, and East’s Benjamin Hoover pocketed a state title in Lincoln-Douglas debate. East’s Yakub Islamov and Christina Xu posted a state championship in public forum debate.

The following are LPS medal-winning results from the tournament:

State Policy Debate Results

Speaker Awards

1) Sarah Cai – Lincoln East, 2) Elaine Yu – Lincoln East, 3) Emma Yin – Lincoln East, 4) Elaine Suh – Lincoln East

Placements

Champion: Elaine Suh and Sarah Cai – Lincoln East

Semifinalists: Cheryl Zeng and Jeff Shen – Lincoln East, Elaine Yu and Emma Yin – Lincoln East

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Results

Speaker Awards

2) Jeremy Moussoli – Lincoln East, 3) Hudson Witte – Lincoln Southeast, 4) Benjamin Hoover – Lincoln East, 5) Corban Barnacle – Lincoln North Star

Placements

Champion: Benjamin Hoover – Lincoln East

Quarterfinalists: Jeremy Moussoli – Lincoln East, Hudson Witte – Lincoln Southeast, Corban Barnacle – Lincoln North Star

Octofinalists: Krithik Pondicherry – Lincoln East, Noah Hoover – Lincoln East

Public Forum Debate Results

Speaker Awards

1) Yakub Islamov – Lincoln East, 2) Christina Xu – Lincoln East, 4) Ronav Ganesh – Lincoln East, 5) Isabel Loriaux – Lincoln Southwest, 6) Kai Sasaki – Lincoln Southwest

Placements

Champion: Yakub Islamov and Christina Xu – Lincoln East

Semifinalists: Isabel Loriaux and Carly Wieseler – Lincoln Southwest, Kyzz Azucena and Kai Sasaki – Lincoln Southwest

Quarterfinalists: Sukruth Jangala and Shriish Sathish – Lincoln East, Arnav Agarwal and Ronav Ganesh – Lincoln East

Congressional Debate Results

Top Presiding Officer: Grant Jungers – Lincoln Southwest

Super Congress Finalists: Kashish Nangia – Lincoln East, Sara Bilew – Lincoln High, Elizabeth Falcone – Lincoln Southwest, Alex Hamric – Lincoln East, Emerson Trompke – Lincoln East, Jack Watermolen – Lincoln Southwest, Henry Cline – Lincoln Southwest

Placements

2) Lexi Velgersdyk – Lincoln Southeast, 4) Grant Jungers – Lincoln Southwest, 6) Spencer Krenk – Lincoln Southwest, 7) Rawan Al-Ajeel – Lincoln Southwest, 8) Andrea Hu – Lincoln East

Posted on September 25, 2024

Students mark 75th LPS music festival with scores of successful notes

Lincoln Public Schools students made the words staccato, crescendo and countermelody come to life at a special celebration of music in March.
 
Sixth-grade students from across the school district took part in the 75th annual All-City Music Festival. The weeklong event allows young orchestra and band musicians to rehearse and play songs together with students from other LPS buildings each year. LPS high school students also mentor sixth graders.
 
The happiness for Solomon and Grace was on a mountaintop level as they practiced scales before their rehearsal at Southeast High School. Both said they were excited to meet students from other schools throughout the day. Dozens of musicians from Lux, Mickle and Pound middle schools came together to practice pieces for a public concert that night.
 
“I like that there are a lot of people here,” Solomon said. “It’s fun to play music with other people who like it too.”
 
“You get to hear what everyone else is doing with music,” Grace said. “It’s cool to hear what they’re doing, because it might be something you want to do too.”
 
Grace plays cello in Lux’s orchestra and Solomon plays trumpet in Pound’s band. Both said they have enjoyed learning about their instruments over the past several years.
 
“I like it,” Solomon said. “I like the higher tones of the brass instruments, so trumpet is fun to play.”
 
“It sounds really cool, and I like how many tones you can make with it,” Grace said. “It’s fun.”
 
Musicians from Dawes, Goodrich and Schoo practiced two days earlier at Northwest High School, and students from Moore and Scott played their notes at Southwest. Students from Culler, Irving, Lefler and Park wrapped up the week of activities with their rehearsals and concerts.
 
The All-City Music Festival takes place each year during Music in Our Schools Month. The nationwide celebration highlights the vital roles that instrumental and vocal music classes play in school districts. LPS includes music courses, events and presentations in its curriculum at all grade levels.
 
LPS Music Supervisor Amy Holloman said the festival has many benefits.
 
“Students and staff alike look forward to this annual event,” Holloman said. “With the tradition carrying on for 75 years, members of the community and families have the connection of a shared experience through performing. Bringing students together from multiple schools allows them to participate in one of the largest ensembles they will experience, to provide an extended learning opportunity beyond what is typically experienced in the classroom and create a larger sense of community.”
 
Thousands of LPS students have taken part in the All-City Music Festival over the past 75 years. In addition to providing younger musicians with a chance to learn from each other, the event also helps high school students. Band and orchestra players who once looked up to older mentors when they were sixth graders are now able to serve in their own leadership spots.
 
Pound music teachers Ian Wright and Amy Gammel began the afternoon rehearsal by walking students through the first run-throughs of their songs. Wright guided orchestra members and Gammel gave directions to band students. Music teachers from both Lux and Mickle assisted them as they worked on songs such as “Bach Country Fiddle” and “Do-Si-Do.”
 
“It is great to see so many people,” Wright told students at the beginning of practice. “Look at this great group. This is fantastic.”
 
Grace and Solomon were members of ensembles that filled one full half of Southeast’s gym. Holloman said those numbers were the source of many good lessons for students. She said changing the size and makeup of the groups flexed their musical and social skills.
 
“Students must also adjust their personal playing based on the size of their section to maintain balance as a whole,” Holloman said. “For example, at one of our sites we had 29 percussionists. While in their own building, these students may be one of three to four members of their section, and they need to play out to be heard.
 
“When combining with so many other percussionists, the students may need to play at half the dynamic level since there are physically more players in the section. Students must experience the change in balance of instrumentation to learn the skills needed to analyze and adjust for a successful performance.”
 
The larger numbers also meant all groups could create a rich range of sounds. Smiling students at Southeast plucked their stringed instruments in one section of a song, and band musicians relied on different instruments to take center stage throughout their concert.
 
Holloman felt the festival provided a firm foundation for everyone’s future musical careers. She said students like Grace and Solomon would be able to play successful notes for many years to come.
 
“As students continue in their music programs, their prospects for honors groups and participation in the larger music community increases,” Holloman said. “Our sixth-grade festival is the first time our students experience this large sense of community and challenge their skill set to adjust within such a large ensemble.”

Click here to learn more about the positive impact of music in the LPS curriculum. A list of upcoming performances at all grade levels is available on the district music calendar.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students ignited their creative minds at 2024 Science and Engineering Fair

Curiosity and creativity collided at the 2024 Lincoln Public Schools Science and Engineering Fair. 

More than 170 LPS students in grades 5-8 participated in the fair at the Sandhills Global Event Center in March. 

“I wanted to be a part of the science fair because I'm really interested in science,” Mickle seventh grade student Nova said. “I thought that it would just be a really good opportunity to expand my learning on all this.” 

This is the second time Nova has entered the event. Her project explaining the effects of acid rain was one of more than 110 science projects submitted this year. Organizers gave the annual fair a new twist – engineering. Students designed 21 engineering works. LPS Science Curriculum Specialist Betsy Barent said adding this component was a logical fit. 

“We saw this as an opportunity to expand student opportunities to share their curiosities and sensemaking,” Barent said. “Science and engineering are two fields that are intertwined. Science builds knowledge which informs engineering and the development of technology.” 

Organizers also encouraged the young scientists and engineers to incorporate a sustainability theme into their entries. They honored those submissions with a “Going Green” ribbon.  

Eighth grade Schoo student Jason used this opportunity to combine his passion for the environment and saving it by creating a presentation focused on solar renewable energy. 

“I care a lot about the environment and what might happen to us if we don't fix our current problems that we have,” Jason said. “So, I wanted to pick a presentation that has helped with that.” 

The fair also provides a way for the community to connect with LPS students. It’s largely run by volunteers and sponsored by several local businesses like Lincoln Electric System, Zoetis and Haleon. 

“Community partnerships are what make the fair go,” Barent said. 

More than 100 volunteers helped with the event serving in roles ranging from setting up booths to judging student projects. There were also 26 exhibits including a solar car race track from LES.

Volunteers Jim Sandbulte and Nolan Greenberg both work for Zoetis. They wanted to get involved to encourage more students to explore their career fields. 

“I've done it several times. So it's fun for me to see what they're curious about,” Sandbulte said.  

“I think it's good to do science projects like this. Kind of maybe gives you a little taste of when you get into the real world or like science and engineering,” Greenberg said. “I guess like a taste of actually putting together projects and seeing if it works or if it doesn't, and troubleshooting things that go wrong.”

The skills participants gain from the science and engineering fair also connect back to what they’re learning in the classroom. Lessons like asking questions, planning and conducting investigations and identifying patterns are direct ties to the LPS science curriculum. The fair creates another outlet for students to deepen their understanding.

“Science and engineering projects give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a question or topic they are genuinely curious about just as scientists and engineers do,” Barent said. 

Students agree the event is a great way for their peers to further science and engineering knowledge and practice it. 

“It's a great opportunity,” Jason said. “I feel like it could prepare you for a lot of future opportunities that might come up.” 

“I think that all students should join the science fair because you never know, you don't just learn off your own project,” Nova said. “There are many others that you can look at and learn more about.”

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students secure state awards for stellar artwork

Lincoln Public Schools students turned their artistic dreams into prize-winning reality at the 2024 Scholastic Art Awards of Nebraska contest.
 
More than three dozen LPS teenagers earned awards in the annual program, which features all types of artistic mediums. High school students from Arts and Humanities Focus Program, Lincoln High, East, North Star, Northwest and Southwest captured honors this year.

Lorinda Rice, visual art curriculum specialist at LPS, said she was happy to have a large number of students receive applause for their abilities.

“Scholastic has been compared to going to state in a sport and winning the championship,” Rice said. “It is always a good feeling to see LPS students being recognized for their creative and artistic talents. Gold and Silver Keys are a moment when our students are on the podium of excellence in the region.”
 
The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers (AYAW) oversees the national contest each year. The program's first round takes place in various regions worldwide. Participants had to be in grades 7-12 and live in the United States, Canada or U.S. territories or on U.S. military bases.
 
Students from across the state submitted entries to Nebraska Art Region judges this winter. Judges could present artists with Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards and American Visions Award nominations. They evaluated each entry without knowing any personal details about the young artists like their name or hometown.
 
There were no predefined contest themes for students to follow. This allowed their creative energy to come alive in categories such as photography, comic art, digital art, ceramics and glass, sculpture, drawing and illustration, media photography, portfolio, painting and mixed media.
 
Judges considered the AYAW’s core values of originality, skills and “emergence of a personal voice or vision” when they looked at each piece of art. They also considered elements that showcased talent and diversity of artistic media, viewpoints and backgrounds during the selection process.
 
Lincoln High sophomore Gabriella Johnson was one of a select few Nebraska students to be nominated for the American Visions Award. Nebraska Art Region judges could select up to five nominees for the award. Johnson entered a sculpture entitled “fatigue” in the contest. Judges gave her high marks for her artistic abilities with the sculpture.
 
AYAW leaders said all Gold Key artworks will automatically advance to national judging. AYAW will ask creative professionals who are based in New York City to review Gold Key winners from across the country. They will select recipients of national awards based on the same three criteria as regionals: skills, originality and emergence of a personal voice or vision.
 
Johnson and other students who earned American Visions Award nominations also advanced to national judging. AYAW leaders will announce national award recipients on June 14.

Rice said being recognized with state awards is a major achievement for all of the LPS recipients. She said it has been a key milestone in the lives of many current artists and professionals.

“Recognition by Scholastic goes back more than 100 years,” Rice said. “It is important for our students’ success in college applications and a demonstration of creative thinking and perseverance to a goal. Many talented students who have been recognized by Scholastic in high school have gone on to become some of the leaders in the fields of cinema, illustration, fashion and the fine arts communities.”
 
Omaha Public Schools is exhibiting artwork from Nebraska students who earned regional awards. Their artwork will be on display through April 19. Many LPS students also took part in a ceremony honoring regional winners this spring.

Click here to see artwork from all of this year’s LPS recipients.

Gold Key Recipients

Arts and Humanities Focus Program
Ethan Dudney – Comic Art – “Roaches vs Rats” – Freshman
Selah Pultz – Photography – “Ghost Gus” – Sophomore
 
East High School
Nicholas Li – Media Photography – “What Dreams Are Made Of” – Junior
Nicholas Li – Media Photography – “Burning Memories” – Junior
Nicholas Li – Media Painting – “Unwilling Lawyers” – Junior
Cheryl Zeng – Drawing and Illustration – “One Word Resolution” – Junior
 
Lincoln High
Gabriella Johnson – Sculpture – “fatigue” – Freshman (Gabriella also earned an American Visions Award nomination for her work)
Lane Hansen – Photography – “Flying Lights” – Freshman
 
North Star High School
Genesis Pompa-Ramirez – Photography – “Double Exposure Self Portrait” – Senior
Genesis Pompa-Ramirez – Photography – “Immigration: Bound” – Senior
Genesis Pompa-Ramirez – Photography – “Immigration: Missing Family” – Senior
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “I Have the Power” – Junior
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Oreo Splash” – Junior
 
Southwest High School
Lily Huynh – Digital Art – “Mess of Death” – Sophomore
Lily Huynh – Digital Art – “Red String” – Sophomore
Tasa Nguyen – Digital Art – “Irremediable” – Junior

Silver Key Recipients

Arts and Humanities Focus Program
Adilynn Sonthana-Barak – Sculpture – “Fusion Ramen” – Senior
Milo Hintz – Digital Art – “Charged Spaces 1” – Senior
Anara McClure – Mixed Media – “Sea Nettle” – Senior
Natalia Velarde – Sculpture – “Achievement” – Sophomore
 
East High School
Elaine Yu – Painting – “Grandparent’s Village” – Junior
 
Lincoln High
Aurora Schroeder – Sculpture – “Fernando Pessoa” – Freshman
Hannah Chism – Ceramics and Glass – “ScareCrowCat” – Sophomore
Lane Hansen – Photography – “Departure” – Freshman
Lane Hansen – Photography – “Nature’s Reflection” – Freshman

North Star High School
Emma Covert – Photography – “Morning Rain” – Junior
Ryanna De La Cruz – Photography – “Looking Glass” – Senior
Genesis Pompa-Ramirez – Photography – “My Passions” – Senior
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Time Slice” – Junior
 
Southwest High School
Valerie Thulin – Photography – “Feelings” – Junior
Kyrie Wagner – Photography – “Cat Eye” – Junior

Honorable Mention Recipients

Arts and Humanities Focus Program
Anara McClure – Ceramics and Glass – “Do All Fairies Have Wings?” – Senior
Natalia Velarde – Sculpture – “Sorrow” – Sophomore
 
East High School
Elaine Yu – Painting – “Thinking With My Heart” – Junior
 
Lincoln High
Ramzi Abrahim – Portfolio – “Purpose” – Senior
Eli Larson – Portfolio – “Expressive Play” – Senior
Jaelynn Kelly – Ceramics and Glass – “Penguin” – Sophomore
 
North Star High School
Emma Covert – Photography – “Gold Fleur” – Junior
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Red/White I-80” – Junior
 
Northwest High School
Hajar Musawi – Drawing and Illustration – “If the Stars Align: The Story of the Large, Blank Canvas” – Senior
 
Southwest High School
Em Carel – Digital Art – “WET Cat” – Sophomore
Ava Pearson – Digital Art – “Magic of Destruction” – Senior
Ava Pearson – Drawing and Illustration – “What Dreams Are Made Of” – Senior

Posted on September 25, 2024

Lux students generate recognition with 2024 Future City competition

If you wanted to build a renewable-energy-based city on a peninsula in Iceland, how would you go about doing that?
 
Lux Middle School students answered that question in successful style during their appearance in a national city-creating contest.
 
Members of the Future City after-school club competed against students from the United States, Canada and China at the DiscoverE 2024 Future City Competition. The eighth-grade team of Alex, Chloe, Luigi, Vasya, Evan, Kellen and Isaiah secured the trip to Washington, D.C., by winning the state contest.

 
Chloe, Alex, Vasya and Luigi flew to the East Coast for the international event. Chloe said it was exciting to represent Lincoln Public Schools in the nation’s capital. Students constructed a model of their city and shared a detailed project plan, 1,500-word essay and seven-minute presentation with judges.
 
“Competing in general was really fun,” Chloe said. “I thought it was kind of cool seeing all of the other models and other people’s presentations and how they competed in different ways.”
 
Lori Feldman and Christy Eichorn both helped the team as mentors. Feldman teaches computer science and technology at Lux and is the club’s LPS staff sponsor, and Eichorn has been mentoring Lux Future City groups since 2019. Both said the program provides a wealth of lessons for future engineers, scientists and designers in grades 6-8.

 
“Now that they’ve seen and been to state and national competitions, I feel like there are kids who are thinking, ‘Wow, this would be a cool career,’” Feldman said. “It could be model building for artistic sets. It could be architecture. It could be urban design. It can be anything they want it to be. It’s really such a great program for their futures.”
 
“I have seen kids grow to become civically engaged, enhance their planning and engineering skills and flourish as speakers and presenters,” Eichorn said. “I am proud of this team’s achievement. I want everyone to know that this is an opportunity for all children to imagine, explore and build robust, sustainable cities of the future.”
 
Students in this year’s contest followed the theme of Electrify Your Future. They had to forecast 100 years from now and build a fictional city powered entirely by electricity generated from renewable energy.
 
Lux students began brainstorming ideas in August and created a comprehensive plan for a town they named Nyfloa. They determined how Nyfloa would provide safe stormwater and sewage collection systems, clean drinking and bathing water, reliable public transportation and a modernized electric power grid. They also explained their city-building strategy and how their plan complied with safety codes and technical standards.

 
Feldman said it was inspiring to watch students work together to meet their goals.
 
“It was a total independent group,” Feldman said. “I was here for support and our mentor was here for support, but they had to decide.”
 
Alex and Chloe said the Future City experience helped the Lightning improve teamwork and time management talents. The group had to meet strict project deadlines to qualify for state and international contests.
 
“It develops a lot of life skills like teamwork,” Alex said. “We had to work together, because we only had a certain time period to do everything. We definitely did a better job of that this year.”
 
“We definitely learned a lot of time management,” Chloe said. “Getting stuff done on time and doing what you’re asked to do is really, really important in this project.”
 
Lux’s team researched potential city locations based on future sea level projections, availability of energy supplies and possible tourism opportunities. They felt Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik checked all of those boxes and decided to build Nyfloa on an Atlantic Ocean peninsula.

 
The group relied on proven energy sources such as offshore wind and geothermal electricity from Iceland’s active volcanoes. They also discovered an emerging technology called a waveline magnet, which floats on water and converts wave energy into electricity.
 
“Because of the Gulf Stream, we found that Iceland had consistent winds, which is great for wind power,” Alex said. “And a new source of energy that we figured out was ocean currents, ocean waves, to generate power.”
 
The Lightning also followed rules when building the physical city model. The budget could not exceed $100 and many items had to be made from recycled materials.

 
“You had to be very creative,” Feldman said. “Custard cups could become skyscrapers, or water bottles could be a pole to hold something up. They used a lot of different engineering skills.”
 
Sixth-grade students Millie, Phoebe, Evan, Rhys, Nolan and Liam also competed at state. Feldman said her goal is to have at least one team in each grade represent Lux next year.
 
Feldman said many Lux students have noticed several large trophies that are displayed in her classroom. She felt this year’s achievements will inspire more Future City groups at school.
 
“Now, kids in every class are looking at those trophies and asking, ‘What is this Future City thing?’ Then they’re saying, ‘I so want to do this next year,’” Feldman said. “We have all of these kids who want to do this. It’s fantastic. It means kids are thinking beyond video games or whatnot. They’re thinking about how can we make our world better in the future.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS girls wrestling programs see growth in second year

A larger number of Lincoln Public Schools girls used the words takedown, reversal and pin in their everyday conversations this winter.
 
LPS saw a significant increase in the number of girls who joined wrestling teams this season. A total of 45 girls wrestled during the 2022-23 campaign, which was the first time the school district offered girls wrestling as a separate sport.
 
That number rose to 76 this winter. All eight LPS high schools had at least one girl take part in wrestling, and four teams – Lincoln High, East, North Star and Southeast – had double-digit-sized rosters.
 
East juniors Mileena and Carson said they were happy to see their team grow. Both said that was a major reason why the Spartans had a good year both on team and individual levels. Mileena finished second at 105 pounds at the state tournament and Carson placed sixth at 170 pounds. East captured tenth place in the team race with 39 points.
 
“I have had more practice partners and more people to teach and even learn from,” Mileena said. “This benefits everyone on the team. We get different looks from each other and understand different styles of wrestling. This also just makes the environment even better to be around, including practices, bus rides, going out to eat, competitions or just bonding activities.”
 
“Wrestling this year was a lot more fun for me, just because I actually understood what I was doing this year, and was getting better in the process with more people to practice with and everyone in my corner supporting me,” Carson said.
 
Lincoln High had the largest LPS roster this winter with 22 athletes. Sophomores Jazleen and Isabel said they enjoyed the season. Both Links qualified for state and became friends with their new teammates.
 
“Wrestling was very fun this season,” Jazleen said. “I think it was pretty cool to have a lot more girls this year. The bus rides, meets and practices were entertaining this year because of the amount of people who joined.”
 
“It was nice knowing we had so many teammates cheering us on and supporting everyone to get better, not just in the (practice) room, but also at the meets,” Isabel said.
 
Mileena, Carson, Jazleen and Isabel are participating in one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the country. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) said there were 49,127 girls who went out for wrestling in 2022-23. That marked a 55-percent increase – 17,473 students – from the previous year. A total of 1,746 girls wrestled in Nebraska this season.
 
East Activities Director Zach Limbach said it has been encouraging to see LPS teams follow that national trend. He felt the sport has positively influenced many local students.
 
“The opportunities provided by adding girls wrestling gives those participating a sense of inclusion and purpose that aligns perfectly with the other educational-based athletics we offer,” Limbach said. “It was very clear from the start, when given the chance, these pioneers of girls high school wrestling are up for the challenge and continue to seize the moment. It has been so fun to watch them compete and grow as student-athletes.”
 
North Star head coach Tyler Nelson said he was extremely happy with the growth of the school’s program. The team’s roster rose from six to 11 wrestlers over the past year.
 
“With girls wrestling being so new to the state, and even newer to Lincoln, the majority of our wrestlers are athletes that coaches and peers have influenced to come try for the first time,” Nelson said. “Of our 11 girls, none of them had experience prior to high school. Although this is most likely a common theme around the city and state, it is a testament to their courage and competitive drive to engage in a completely new sport.”
 
Seven LPS high schools fielded teams in 2022-23. East had ten girls finish the season and Lincoln High had eight complete the campaign. Athletes from Southeast (seven), North Star (six), Southwest (five), Northwest (five) and Northeast (four) also competed on wrestling mats.
 
Lincoln High (22), East (14), North Star (11) and Southeast (10) had the largest LPS rosters this winter. Southwest (eight), Northeast (six), Northwest (four) and Standing Bear (one) all had girls finish the season.
 
Mileena said the 14 Spartans helped each other throughout the year. She said a larger team meant a larger amount of encouragement to go around.
 
“My team has been the best support system I could ask for,” Mileena said. “Anytime I am wrestling I can look up and see my team in my corner yelling and cheering me on. I am super thankful for this team and the way we all support each other. When one of my teammates wins a match, or even the tournament, I am happy for their success.”
 
Mileena said she and other girls would continue to expand their wrestling vocabularies in years to come.
 
“I had a ton of fun wrestling this season,” Mileena said. “The more years I wrestle, the more fun I have. Last season was definitely the best by a long shot. I was able to bond with my teammates better than ever. Wrestling is a tough sport and it isn’t made for everyone, so being able to wrestle and have a bunch of fun is something I am happy to experience.”

Click here for more information about athletics at LPS middle and high schools. The link includes information about student participation, season schedules and school athletic programs.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students shine at state DECA, HOSA conferences

Lincoln Public Schools students recently turned their business and health knowledge into bright results at a pair of state conferences.

Students took part in the Nebraska DECA State Career Development Conference (SCDC) and the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) State Leadership Conference. DECA events were held in Lincoln and the HOSA conference took place at Creighton University.

LPS Career and Technical Education Curriculum Specialist Jason Thomsen said students were involved in a full slate of positive activities at both sites. They participated in competitive events and leadership workshops and met fellow DECA and HOSA members from across Nebraska. Many LPS students also won awards for their business and health skills.

“It is always wonderful to see our students not only compete in these types of extracurricular events, but perform well compared to their peers throughout the state,” Thomsen said. “This reflects positively on the hard work and talents of the students, but is also a reflection of the hard work and dedication put into these organizations from the teachers and sponsors.”

Nebraska DECA

DECA is a career and technical organization that helps students prepare for dozens of business-related jobs. Some of the careers include marketing, finance, management, hospitality, entrepreneurship and human resources.

“As students participate in DECA and attend various leadership conferences throughout the year, they develop real-world skills by competing in challenges that simulate real business scenarios, which allow all students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Thomsen said.

Southwest High School teacher Allie Thompson said she was happy with the achievements of her students. Thompson guided a group of ten Silver Hawks at the state conference as chapter advisor.

“I’m very proud of our chapter’s performance at SCDC this year,” Thompson said. “Our chapter has dedicated so much time to preparing for these events, and to see them be recognized for their accomplishments is rewarding. We have been a close-knit group this year and I am especially proud of how supportive our chapter is of each other when we compete. It’s fulfilling to see this group represent themselves and their school so well.”

Thomsen said many LPS students have developed career readiness knowledge through DECA. They have learned how to create resumes, prepare for interviews and search for jobs within their future career fields. They have also built networks with business professionals across the state.

Southwest junior Brandon Hansen is one of those career-constructing students. He will be one of three vice presidents of Nebraska DECA for the 2024-25 year.

“Brandon has played an integral role in our chapter’s success this year as our chapter president,” Thompson said. “He’s a passionate, driven leader who exemplifies exactly what it means to be a part of DECA – academically prepared, community oriented and professionally responsible. Some of our chapter’s best moments from this year were a direct result of Brandon’s dedication to our chapter.”

East High School earned a Thrive Level Award in the DECA Chapter Campaign national program. The Spartans were honored for their community service and promotional events during the school year.

East’s chapter, led by business department chair Matt Maw, will receive a pennant, flag and plaque for reaching Thrive Level status. The Spartans will also be able to send two members to the Thrive Academy at this year’s DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

“We were very satisfied with our chapter’s success at State DECA and were able to meet both individual and chapter goals,” Maw said. “DECA has allowed students to apply the content learned in business classes to real-world scenarios through competition. In addition, students benefited from the networking opportunities and leadership opportunities.”

Students who placed in the top three spots of their competitive events will continue their seasons later this spring. The ICDC will happen April 27-May 1 in Anaheim, Calif.

The following LPS students earned state medals:

Human Resources Management: Aadhav Krishna – East – Junior – Second Place Overall, Third Place Role Play 1
Principles of Finance: Konnor Garrett – East – Freshman – First Place Exam, Top Eight Overall
Principles of Marketing: Rikhil Jasti – East – Sophomore – First Place Role Play 2, Top Eight Overall
Quick Serve Restaurant: Sandarika Warjri – Southwest – Junior – Second Place Overall
Retail Merchandising Series: Jake Schuller – East – Junior – First Place Overall, First Place Exam, First Place Role Play 2
Sports and Entertainment Marketing: Spencer Krenk – Southwest – Junior – Second Place Overall
Sports and Entertainment Marketing: Alex Shaeffer – Southwest – Sophomore – Third Place Overall

Nebraska HOSA

HOSA teaches lessons about a wide range of health-related careers. The state conference featured more than 30 competitive events in subjects ranging from behavioral health to pathophysiology.

Students earned recognition for placing in the top five spots of their competitive events. Students who finished first, second or third automatically qualified for the HOSA International Leadership Conference (ILC). The ILC will happen June 26-29 in Houston, Texas.

Four LPS students played key roles at the conference. Southeast High School senior Kenna Morgan, Lincoln High junior Lina Dvorak and East High School seniors Callie Dreibelbis and Juliet Schoemaker are serving on the HOSA State Officer Team this year. Morgan is state secretary, Dvorak is state vice president of competitive events, Dreibelbis is state vice president of membership and Schoemaker is state vice president of media.

The following LPS students finished in the top five places at state:

Behavioral Health: Lina Dvorak – Lincoln High – First Place – Junior
Creative Problem Solving: Garrett Amundsen (Junior) and Alyssa Beetem (Junior) – Southeast – Fifth Place
Dental Science: Brice Neale – The Career Academy – Fourth Place – Senior
Emergency Medical Technician: Ryan Dao (Senior) and Mikyah Venhaus (Senior) – The Career Academy – Fourth Place
Health Career Photography: Mara Scott – Southeast – Fourth Place – Junior
Health Career Photography: Sophia Timm – The Career Academy – Fifth Place – Junior
Human Growth and Development: Kenna Morgan – Southeast – Second Place – Senior
Medical Reading: Jade Sindelar – The Career Academy – Third Place – Senior
Medical Reading: Emma Cleaver – The Career Academy – Fourth Place – Junior
Mental Health Promotion: Molly Leyden (Junior) and Maleah Ehlers (Junior) – Southeast – First Place
Nursing Assisting: Caitlyn Klems – Southeast – Third Place – Junior
Nutrition: Emma Yin – East – Third Place – Junior

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students earn state honors at FCCLA convention

Lincoln Public Schools students and staff earned significant honors during this spring’s Nebraska Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conference.
 
Students from more than 90 Nebraska schools came to Lincoln for the annual convention. They participated in competitive events, leadership seminars and networking opportunities during the three-day conference.
 
FCCLA is a national organization that helps students learn more about career and technical education careers, particularly in family and consumer sciences (FCS) fields. More than 2,600 students are members of Nebraska FCCLA chapters.
 
Southwest High School earned a Gold Chapter Award during the state convention. FCCLA chapters could receive bronze, silver or gold awards for their work during the school year.

 
Students had to complete at least three projects in membership, leadership, FCCLA promotion and competitive events categories to earn gold-level recognition. There were five types of project possibilities in each category. They also had to complete an application form detailing the chapter’s accomplishments.
 
McKenzie Geier and Sarah Morrow are co-advisors of Southwest’s chapter. Morrow said seeing the Silver Hawks capture the gold-level honor was exciting. Nine students are members of the school’s 2023-24 chapter.
 
“We are always very happy to earn a Gold Chapter Award,” Morrow said. “We have our student awards officer complete our application for the award because this is a student-led organization. They take pride in sharing their achievements and the good they’re doing in FCCLA.”

 
Geier and North Star High School teacher Lily Hershey were both recognized for their leadership skills. Geier received an Advisor Service Recognition Award for helping guide Southwest’s chapter for five years. Hershey was recognized as a new chapter advisor.
 
Four Southwest students earned major awards in the STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) program. STAR is FCCLA’s premier competitive events program and includes a wide array of contests.

 
STAR events are divided into Level I (grades 6-8), Level II (grades 9-10) and Level 3 (grades 11-12). Students could earn a gold medal for scoring 90-100 points in their event and a silver medal for tallying 70-89.99 points.
 
State champions and runners-up automatically qualified to represent Nebraska at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. The national event will take place June 29-July 3 in Seattle.
 
Southwest students Jada Frank and Jack McCormick finished in first place in the chapter service project display and portfolio (Level 3) contest. The Silver Hawks earned a gold medal for their work. They had to develop and implement an in-depth service project that included FCS content and skills. Judges evaluated projects that made “a worthwhile contribution to families, schools and communities.”

 
Aubrey Bailey and Belle Zaruba became the second Southwest team to qualify for nationals. They earned second place in the promote and publicize FCCLA (Level 3) contest. They collected a silver medal for using communication skills and techniques to inform their school and community about FCCLA. They raised awareness about the importance of FCCLA and how FCS classes benefit the entire community.

 
LPS students attended many educational breakout sessions at the state convention. They visited with representatives from more than 20 colleges and organizations during a career fair, and they participated in service projects at Food Bank of Lincoln and Lincoln Children’s Museum.

 
LPS offers many FCS classes throughout the school district. Click here to learn more about the various programs and how to become involved in FCCLA chapters.

The following are results of LPS medal-winning entries:

Chapter Service Project Display – Level 3: Jada Frank and Jack McCormick (Lincoln Southwest) – 1st place, national qualifiers
 
Promote and Publicize FCCLA Contest – Level 3: Belle Zaruba and Aubrey Bailey (Lincoln Southwest) – 2nd place, national qualifiers
 
Advisor Service Recognition Award – Five Years: McKenzie Geier (Lincoln Southwest)
 
New Chapter Advisor Recognition: Lily Hershey (Lincoln North Star)

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Greater Than One District Inclusion Summit builds bridges among metro school districts

Students from six Nebraska metro school districts built bridges of compassion, understanding and friendship with each other at a major educational event in Lincoln.
 
Lincoln Public Schools hosted its second-annual “Greater Than One District” Inclusion Summit at the Don Clifton Professional Learning Center this spring. Elementary, middle and high school students from LPS, Omaha Public Schools, Westside Community Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools and Papillion-La Vista Community Schools came together for the event. They participated in activities that helped them learn about subjects such as belonging, inclusion and engagement.
 
Southeast High School senior Catrice and Omaha North junior Michael said they were grateful to join the 114-person group. They said the summit’s welcoming setup was helping them construct lifelong leadership skills.
 
“I’ve really enjoyed meeting all sorts of new people,” Michael said. “It’s really nice that rather than us going and sitting at a table with all of the same people that we normally do, we’re able to sit with a big variety of people throughout the metro area.”
 
“Walking into a room and being able to trust someone before you know what’s happening is a big skill to have,” Catrice said. “Even though it might be hard to trust someone you’ve only known for five minutes, it kind of already makes the relationship. Putting yourself out there and making yourself vulnerable will only make you a stronger person.”
 
Peter Ferguson and Andrea Haynes beamed with pride as they watched a large conference room become a beehive of activity. Ferguson is coordinator of culture, inclusion and scholar development at LPS and Haynes is assistant superintendent of Westside's human resources and district operations. Both said it was important for students to have conversations that would provide permanent feelings of empowerment and affirmation.
 
“For me, it’s so special because we’re not just building a better school district for particular students or a particular district, we’re building a better educational experience for all students in the state of Nebraska,” Haynes said. “Where all students feel a sense of belonging, a sense of feeling connected to their school, a sense of getting to know students from other districts. It’s about motivating and inspiring one another to do great things in life and achieve at high levels.”
 
“When I’m looking at empowerment, I want it to be something that lasts long after this,” Ferguson said. “I want this to serve as a catalyst for them to continue or start the work that they’ve always wanted to.”
 
LPS and Westside teamed up last year for the inaugural equity summit. Students enjoyed the event so much that they decided to deliver a presentation about their experiences at a Missouri Valley human resources convention. Leaders from other districts were impressed by what they heard from the group, and that sparked the idea of having a larger event with more schools.
 
Ferguson, Haynes and LPS Associate Superintendent for Human Resources Vann Price spearheaded months-long planning for the summit. They invited leaders from LPS, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and community organizations to guide conversations and breakout sessions throughout the day.
 
Amanda Morales, an associate professor of critical multicultural and multilingual education at UNL, and Ndrao Faye, a second-year doctoral student from Senegal, led one of the morning’s activities. Students first met someone they didn’t know and had icebreaker conversations with them. They then formed larger groups to create and perform skits about important ideas such as diversity and acceptance. Everyone shared their reflections with each other after the performances.
 
“It’s about creating a brave space for us to work together,” Morales said.
 
Ferguson said organizers wanted to ensure students could speak freely about all types of subjects at the summit. They knew this would help them build self-confidence and develop both trust and respect for people of various backgrounds and opinions.
 
“All of this is for naught if they’re not having the ability to engage,” Ferguson said. “To be not just in a safe space but in a give-grace space where they truly can be their authentic self and engage in that capacity.”
 
Michael and Catrice both felt that goal had been achieved.
 
“The fact that we’re able to discuss with our peers about this topic, and not necessarily feel judged, to be able to have that conversation where we can say, ‘Here’s where I disagree, here’s where I agree,’” Michael said. “It’s really important that we are building that kind of community.”
 
“Last year when we had Westside join us, it was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome. I’m so glad we can share with another school,’” Catrice said. “But now that there’s five other school districts here, it’s really cool to see not only what they have to bring, but also the experiences that they’ve had. I’ve been able to relate to a lot of them.”
 
Ferguson said LPS Equity Cadre alum Kaylee Denker provided motivation for the gathering last year. Denker said if positive change was going to happen, it had to come from many school districts banding together. Haynes said Denker’s vision had come true with what she had witnessed at the summit.
 
“Not only are we sharing unique perspectives and things that make us different, we’re also getting down to what it is about us that’s alike, that we’re all connected in a way,” Haynes said. “Learn about others, learn about ourselves and learn how to create better belonging for everyone.”

To learn more about the school district’s equity goals, check out the LPS All Means All action plan at https://home.lps.org/board/all/.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students capture major honors at state journalism contests

Lincoln Public Schools students had plenty of good news to share this spring at the 2024 Nebraska School Activities Association State Journalism Championships.
 
Students from six LPS high schools earned state medals in the Class A contest. Lincoln High, East, Northeast, North Star, Southeast and Southwest journalists captured honors. They showcased their talents in writing, design, broadcasting and illustration events.

 
Students from across Nebraska submitted entries in 25 categories. A panel of industry professionals and NSAA-certified journalism judges selected the top eight in each division.

 
Students received state medals in 12 categories based on preliminary rankings. Journalists in the 13 remaining categories traveled to Northeast Community College in Norfolk to determine the final medal order.
 
Northeast senior Albany Tobin secured a state championship in the yearbook layout category. Judges reviewed complete, double-page yearbook spreads in PDF form for the state contest.
 
Judges felt Tobin did the best job of including compelling photography and graphic elements in her design. They also said she had engaging and consistent type use and provided a clear visual hierarchy on pages.
 
“It’s exciting,” Tobin said. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up. This being my first year in yearbook, I wasn’t going to get my hopes up just in case I didn’t place. It was even more surprising because when I found out I was the only one from Northeast that made it in I was just so surprised and excited. I was filled with all the emotions.”

 
Paige Doland teaches photojournalism and English classes at Northeast and is yearbook advisor. She was thrilled when Tobin’s name was called in the first-place spot.
 
“Albany has been the backbone of our yearbook staff,” Doland said. “In the second half of the year, she earned the title of one of our senior editors due to her dedication to the book. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Albany.”
 
Tobin and her classmates produced a yearbook theme called “A Stellar Year.” They highlighted the excellence found in the word “stellar” while also paying homage to the school’s mascot of Rockets. They used colors based on the Northern Lights throughout the yearbook.

 
Tobin submitted a spread called “Let Us Create: Voices ‘n Harmony” for state. It displayed information and photos from this year’s varsity show choir group. Doland said it represented the effort Tobin applied to all of her yearbook projects.
 
“The time and energy that was spent on this page is nothing different than the work that went into all the pages Albany worked on,” Doland said. “Her pictures, layout, writing and dedication to the theme all came together to bring home first place, but most importantly, a book full of unforgettable memories.”
 
Tobin said she has learned many lifelong skills from the yearbook class.
 
“As a senior in high school, a lot of what I’m doing now is to better my future and to prove to myself that all this work is paying off,” Tobin said. “I decided to take yearbook just because it’s my senior year and I wanted to try it out.”
 
Lincoln High senior Eli Larson earned second place in the sports action photography category. He submitted photos of basketball, football and dance team students for the contest.

 
Mackenzie Wylie guided Larson as Lincoln High’s yearbook advisor. She was happy to see him earn recognition for his work behind the camera lens.
 
“Proud is an understatement,” Wylie said. “Eli embodies remarkable talent and unwavering determination. At LHS, we are proud of the exceptional achievements he has accomplished. His kindness, passion and compassion radiate through every endeavor he undertakes.
 
“His state medals are a true testament to his extraordinary efforts. Eli will be missed on our yearbook staff, but we look forward to the incredible work he will produce in any setting he is in.”
 
Southeast had the largest number of LPS state medalists. Eight Knights earned awards for their print and broadcast journalism stories. Journalism teacher Brianne Clark was thrilled to see local students represented on the state awards podium.

 
“For my students, state provides an opportunity to showcase their skills and be recognized for the hard work they put in year-round,” Clark said. “Seeing them excel and be recognized at such a high level is incredibly rewarding as an educator.”
 
Senior Rahel Teklu spearheaded Southeast’s state trip with a third-place award in the newspaper column writing category. Lily Deitering, Maisy Viehl, Molly Leyden, Jarod Cada, Adam Taylor, Maren Steinke and Myla Davis added medals for the Knights.
 
Clark said she was proud of the growth she saw from journalism students since August. It was the first year Southeast offered a broadcasting class called Knight Pride News, and seven staff members of The Clarion school newspaper were freshmen. Both news teams made successful splashes into their journalism pools throughout the year.
 
“Storytelling that works to connect us to others, rather than divide, is at the heart of my teaching philosophy with these groups,” Clark said. “It has been so rewarding to see them work hard to create stories that do just that.”
 
Southwest Talon yearbook staff members celebrated a successful state trip with a third-place award in yearbook theme development. Students used “Nothing We Can’t Do” as the basis for the yearbook. Advisor Brandi Benson watched them create multiple pages that showed Silver Hawks doing well in school activities.

 
“We are very lucky at LSW to have so many activities for students to participate in and so many areas in which students can and do succeed,” Benson said. “The yearbook staff wanted to create a theme that fit our student body and the idea that we could do anything. Coincidentally, with our staff being so young this year and clearing so many hurdles to finish the book, finishing third at state in theme development was a perfect connection to our theme.”
 
Benson said yearbook editor Khloe Swanson played a key role in the project. She shepherded a staff that included a large number of newcomers. Benson said she was pleased with everyone's eagerness to complete the pages.
 
“Our editor Khloe has done a spectacular job of stepping up to take on the leadership role,” Benson said. “I am so grateful for the hard work and commitment our entire staff put into finishing the book.”
 
Student newspapers at Lincoln High, East, Northeast, North Star, Southeast and Southwest can be viewed through the links provided. Links to all of the individual LPS state journalism entries are available to view here.

Below are the results from the 2024 state journalism competition:

Lincoln High

Eli Larson – Sports Action Photography – 2nd place – “Lincoln High defense forces a fumble in a game against Northeast,” “The Lincoln High Pomalinks dance for one of the last times as a team on Senior Night” and “Jackson Duncan fights for the ball in a heated game against Bellevue East, ultimately bringing them to a 70-68 win”
Eli Larson – Feature Photography – 5th place – “Anania Ruba prepares for an impressive 30-point performance in a 63-50 win against Gretna East,” “Tre Crabtree placed in the top ten at the district meet, earning a spot at the state competition for the team for the first time in half a decade” and “Riek Bol, a Lincoln High alumni, speaks about his time as a student at Lincoln High during a Black History Month event”

Lincoln East

Hope Shortridge – Newspaper Sports Feature Writing – 7th place – “Elly Honnens leaves her mark on Lincoln East golf”
Hope Shortridge – Sports Action Photography – 6th place – “Volleyball Celebration,” “Tennis Reaction” and “Basketball Layup”
Ella Herzberg – Newspaper News Writing – 7th place – “Scholastic Book Fairs include titles that deal with race, gender and sexuality”
Louis Hoffman – Photo/Artistic Illustration – 8th place – “Steamboat Willie”

Lincoln Northeast

Albany Tobin – Yearbook Layout – 1st place – “Let Us Create: Voices ‘n Harmony”

Lincoln North Star

Josh Goodrich – Yearbook Layout – 6th place – “Music Yearbook Spread”

Lincoln Southeast

Lily Deitering – Entertainment Review Writing – 6th place – “Triangle Factory Fire Project”
Maisy Viehl and Molly Leyden – Broadcast Feature Story – 6th place – “Broadcast Feature: Moravec’s Specimens”
Maisy Viehl and Jarod Cada – Broadcast Sports Story – 5th place – “Broadcast Sports: Girls Wrestling”
Rahel Teklu and Adam Taylor – Broadcast Public Service Announcement – 4th place – “Broadcast PSA: Voter Registration at LSE”
Maren Steinke – Broadcast Public Service Announcement – 6th place – “Broadcast PSA: Covid & Cold Season”
Rahel Teklu – Newspaper Column Writing – 3rd place – “It’s Hard to Feel Like I Belong”
Myla Davis – Newspaper Feature Writing – 6th place – “Ramadan”

Lincoln Southwest

Lillian Bittle – Newspaper Feature Writing – 5th place – “NP Feature – Beauty and the Beast”
Lyric Lee – Yearbook Feature Writing – 7th place – “YB Feature – B&TB”
Chloe Wiens – Yearbook Layout – 5th place – “YB Layout – Vball Day”
LSW Talon Staff – Yearbook Theme Development – 3rd place – “Nothing We Can’t Do”

Posted on September 25, 2024

World-class jazz violinist leads LPS orchestra students

Scott Tixier’s talent for teaching proved to be music to the ears of dozens of Lincoln Public Schools orchestra students this spring.
 
The world-class jazz violinist spent time with students from seven LPS high schools at an improvisation clinic. Tixier, a five-time Grammy Award winner, shared his knowledge about rhythms, keys and scores during a session held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
 
East High School student Joslyn said she was impressed with Tixier. She was grateful to work with someone who has made a major impact on the music scene.
 
“Getting to share the room with someone as talented as Scott was just incredible,” Joslyn said. “I learned so much about the variations of range you can play on an instrument and how it doesn’t always have to be ‘classical,’ but can be so unique to your style. A special thing I took away from him was that you can do anything with your talent to make it special and unique to you.”
 
Tixier said he was excited to help the newest generation of orchestra All-Stars in Lincoln. The French-born violinist has played with many of the biggest names in music. He has toured with popular artists Adele, Pink, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder and Jon Legend, rock bands Pink Floyd and Coldplay and famous jazz musicians Chris Potter and Kenny Barron. His notes have also appeared in major film scores such as “The Lion King” and the “John Wick” series.
 
“I love it,” Tixier said. “I love sharing my passion for music with people, and especially the young generation, the youth, because that’s the future. As a young adult I didn’t have an opportunity like this, so to bring something to their lives so they can find new paths, new ways to express themselves, is really nice.”
 
LPS Music Supervisor Amy Holloman and Hans Sturm, professor of double bass and jazz studies at UNL’s Glenn Korff School of Music, said Tixier’s visit was a special opportunity for students. In addition to the ensemble-based workshop, Tixier also taught UNL students and traveled to Lincoln High, Southwest, Southeast and East for workshops. A professional rhythm section of piano, bass and percussion musicians joined him at each clinic.
 
“Working with a major artist is an inspiration for students!” Holloman said. “Getting feedback from professional musicians and performers provides students with varying perspectives to guide thinking for analysis and encourage growth.”
 
“The typical path for a trained violinist, or any bowed string instrumentalist for that matter, is to teach or to strive to perform and interpret the works of composers at the highest level, to read and interpret sheet music,” Sturm said. “However, as an improvising string player, Scott chooses his own notes and rhythms. He gets to compose his own part.
 
“Improvising is something that string students rarely have the opportunity to do, and they now have the opportunity to witness and experience this process firsthand.”
 
Tixier’s appearance was part of the new Creative Improvising String Project (CISP). The National Association for Music Educators recently released a document that says all music students should be involved in creative activities like improvisation and composition. Members of the Lincoln-based Meadowlark Music Festival spoke with Holloman in 2023 about coming up with ways to meet this goal.
 
Meadowlark leaders then met with Holloman and LPS orchestra directors to gauge their interest in offering CISP activities. They reacted to the idea with excitement and wanted to begin as soon as possible.
 
Sturm taught more than 30 lessons to orchestra students at each participating high school prior to Tixier’s visit. Multiple school and community groups also lent their support to the inaugural CISP program. Meadowlark funded the professional rhythm section and the Glenn Korff School of Music helped pay for Tixier’s appearance. Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools provided funds for bus transportation for LPS students to and from UNL for the ensemble workshop.
 
Holloman and local orchestra directors attended the clinic to watch Tixier work with LPS students. She was pleased with what she saw during the two-hour event.
 
“Over the course of the clinic students gained confidence in exploring their instruments and were improvising without guidelines, volunteering to perform as individuals,” Holloman said. “Interested students had the opportunity to play with Mr. Tixier and his rhythm section in small groups, performing for their peers. It was truly a collaborative and immersive experience.”
 
Tixier first showed students how to improvise on chords such as D minor. He then invited volunteers to play with the band at the front of the room. He encouraged everyone as he listened to them create a smooth-flowing river of sound.
 
“I like this,” Tixier said. “It’s beautiful.”
 
Tixier said he was happy knowing that new generations of musicians would continue to play symphonies of success with their stringed instruments.
 
“It’s nice to have everybody gather together from all of the schools,” Tixier said. “I’m really excited to see people from 14-17 years old who are really interested in jazz violin improvisation. That’s beautiful for the future.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Student-artists shine at 2024 Secondary District Art Show

Emeri is using her interest in nature to create scenes that show an earth-sized amount of imagination, ingenuity and intelligence.
 
Emeri, a senior at Northwest High School, joined hundreds of middle and high school students at the 2024 secondary district art show. Lincoln Public Schools students, parents and community members admired a wide range of drawings, paintings and prints this spring. The artwork filled every floor of the Steve Joel District Leadership Center.
 
Emeri gave a humble smile as she stood in front of a pencil drawing called “The Crows” at the show. Her artistic abilities helped her become one of the most decorated students in the building. Teachers selected five of her pieces for visitors to view on the walls.
 
“I was shocked,” Emeri said. “I was really expecting just one to be here, but to get five, that’s shocking.”
 
Emeri said Northwest teacher Megan Cherry has played a critical role in her art career. She took a Drawing II class with Cherry this year and learned about many illustration methods and mediums. She would like to major in wildlife biology in college, and those future plans are helping to inspire her current artistic ambitions.
 
“When I draw, I just typically focus on animals and plants,” Emeri said. “That’s what interests me.”
 
Standing Bear High School freshman Leah and Schoo Middle School eighth grader Keaton also said they like to focus on subjects that are appealing to them. Leah produced a prize-winning photo called "The Wonderous World of Shadows” for the art show. She took a selfie of her own shadow that was silhouetted by a light pole outside Standing Bear’s building.
 
“In photography, I enjoy working with art – shadows and light for the most part,” Leah said. “I guess the light pole gave me a cool opportunity to maybe use the jacket I was wearing for a cool photo.”
 
Keaton showcased a piece called “Dinosaur” for art show visitors. His digital media collection featured six different dinosaur species in a variety of colors. The sketches included a tyrannosaurus walking by trees, a brachiosaurus extending its head and a pteranodon flying through the sky.
 
“I came up with it just from simply drawing little doodles on the iPad,” Keaton said. “I eventually started gradually adding on to the doodles more and more. They ended up making up the pieces to the artworks that I eventually made.”
 
Keaton’s mom Tara said her son has enjoyed being an artist for many years. She has saved boxes of his art projects and posts social media updates about his latest creations to her friends. He began making t-shirt designs this year and has added digital pieces to his skillset.
 
“It’s amazing,” Tara said. “I’m super proud of him. He’s been drawing since he could write.”
 
Keaton spent a large amount of time on the project during his digital art class at Schoo. He said teacher Evan Asche encouraged him to explore a whole series of ways to use his talents.
 
“I think art class helps with that because it allows me to be a lot more creative,” Keaton said. “Because originally I started with pencil drawings, and the pencil drawings were really good, but when I found out that we were using digital art, I wanted to try and see if I could color them in, because I thought that would be easier.”
 
Irving Middle School eighth grader Neva said she has also enjoyed her digital media class. She beamed as she talked about her project called “Molly Tuttle.” She created a color block portrait of a faceless woman holding a guitar and wearing a necklace with a gold coin.
 
Neva said her favorite guitar player came to mind when she first learned about the assignment. She felt drawing Molly Tuttle would stretch her artistic skills in a good way.
 
“First you find a picture of the person, and then you trace the area around them,” Neva said. “Then fill it in with colors that work together.”
 
Neva said it was important to have art classes in school because they provide a creative outlet for everyone. She said they also teach students many important lessons that apply to other parts of life.
 
What was one of those lessons she learned from this project?
 
“That art isn’t always as easy as you think it is,” Neva said with a friendly laugh. “Her hair was so hard to make.”
 
Leah said being included in the district art show has led to a dictionary-sized amount of good outcomes. She has received encouraging words from many classmates and friends, and she has gained confidence from knowing other people have enjoyed her artwork. She said it has also been nice to know her family supports her in all of her photography pursuits.
 
“I think they’re proud,” Leah said with a smile.
 
Click here to learn more about the wide array of art classes available at LPS. The site includes a list of school and district art teachers, programs of study and links to area museums and galleries.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students find success at UNL Language Fair

Lincoln Public Schools students spoke words of respect, enthusiasm and discovery this spring during their time at a major language-based contest.
 
Students from six LPS high schools traveled to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the 45th annual UNL Language Fair. Lincoln High, East, North Star, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest competed in a wide range of events throughout the day. The fair featured more than 500 students from 35 high schools across Nebraska.
 
Southwest students Kira Muckel and Layna Bernt said they enjoyed being at the fair. Both are in Tammy Lamprecht’s Japanese class at school and were involved in multiple contests on the UNL campus. LPS students participated in music, drama, poetry, dance, short film and poster design events at five UNL buildings.
 
“I enjoyed being able to appreciate various cultures and languages with classmates,” Muckel said. “The events are what makes the fair so special, because everyone has something to show that could be familiar or different.
 
“Exploring the events is among my favorite parts of the language fair. In my case, it was such an amazing experience to be able to wear traditional Japanese clothing and be able to perform to demonstrate the respect and passion I have for the language and culture.”
 
“I enjoyed being able to perform the dance and demonstrate my knowledge and passion for languages the best,” Bernt said.
 
Southeast students Natalia Villamil and Avery Williams were also happy to share their work at the fair. They joined classmates Koa White and Cameron Wesche for a Spanish poster that focused on Columbia. The Knights earned first place for their detailed explanation of a conflict that has lasted more than 50 years in the country.
 
“What I enjoyed the most was the cultural diversity I could see at the fair and how U.S. Americans perceive our Columbian and Hispanic culture,” Villamil said. “It’s very different from what I have experienced before.”
 
“I enjoyed seeing the representations of different cultures and how many different things people did,” Williams said.
 
Southeast Spanish teacher Teresa Barta said she was proud of her students for their efforts. Her class decided to explore the “War, Peace and Reconciliation” theme of this year’s fair by focusing on Columbia. They filled their poster with vivid accounts of past events that impacted people living there. Barta said their work helped explain the current situation in the country and what Columbia might look like in the future.
 
“The main reason was that two of the students in this small class have Columbian roots, so it was a meaningful topic for them and for their classmates, who were interested in them,” Barta said. “It was a great opportunity for them to share their perspectives, and for others to contrast those with what they learned in class or researched and see its relevance.”
 
Lamprecht said these types of projects were one reason why the language fair was important for students. LPS participants brought home awards for their abilities speaking Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
 
“Students gain so much from participating in the UNL Language Fair,” Lamprecht said. “They get to branch out and express their creativity and talent in the arts using the target language they’ve been working so hard to become proficient in, which challenges them in a positive way, whether that’s because of the language aspect, the pressure of performance or the creative arts being out of their comfort zone.”
 
Southeast world language teacher Kelleen Rosebaugh said seeing younger students gain knowledge from older peers at the fair is also rewarding.
 
“All the competitions require the students to recite and perform in the target language and about their target culture, and it gives them something to look forward to in their learning process,” Rosebaugh said. “They get to see and meet other students from across the state and see what their peers in levels one, two, three and four of language are doing. The levels get to mix, and beginning students see what advanced students can do and start planning how they can do that in the coming years.”
 
Students also learned lessons away from the stage. They attended classes about languages that are less commonly taught such as Swedish, Basque, Lakota, Ponca, Danish and Swahili. They also watched Spanish and Latin cultural dances, learned about world events and networked with representatives from many community organizations.
 
Rosebaugh said it has been exciting to watch the fair grow over time.
 
“It’s really lovely to see more and more students attending the UNL Language Fair,” Rosebaugh said. “Students who stay in world language classes can attend each year, and it’s a feedback loop. More kids attend and want to take the advanced courses, so we have more students competing in advanced courses that novice students see and want to emulate.”
 
Lamprecht said the fair has become one of the focal points of the school year for her students. She said they always return to Southwest’s hallways with overflowing enthusiasm for global languages and cultures.
 
“At the end of the day, my students feel extremely proud of their hard work and know that it was worth all the toil it took to prepare for this day,” Lamprecht said. “The next day at school they’re already talking about what they will do next year!”

Click here to learn more about world language programs at LPS and how they help prepare students to be global citizens.

The following list includes LPS students who finished in either first or second place in their contests:

Arabic Poetry – Ali Waly – Lincoln High School – Winner
Chinese Drama Level 2 – Achan Abdelkarim, Aaron Hazelwood, Priscilla Ton – Lincoln North Star – Winner
Chinese Poetry Level 2 – Dalin Chea – Lincoln North Star – Winner
Chinese Poster Level 1 – Allyson Hale – Lincoln North Star – Winner
Chinese Poster Level 1 – Jenny Dinh – Lincoln North Star – Honorable Mention
Chinese Poster Level 2 – Aspen Hemmerling – Lincoln North Star – Winner
Chinese Poster Level 2 – Aaron Hazelwood and Dalin Chea – Lincoln North Star – Honorable Mention
German Music Level 1 – Joselyn Shoemaker – Lincoln East – Winner
German Music Level 1 – Jonah Forry and Michael Steyer – Lincoln Northwest – Honorable Mention
German Music Heritage Speaker – Lisa Marie Adolphi – Lincoln Northwest – Winner
German Poetry Level 1 – Calum Krikac – Lincoln East – Winner
German Creative Poetry Level 1 – Yurii Balanovich – Lincoln Northwest – Honorable Mention
German Poetry Level 2 – Helen Brozovic – Lincoln High – Winner
German Poster Level 1 – Rachel Koch – Lincoln East – Winner
German Poster Level 1 – Lucrezia Casati – Lincoln Northwest – Honorable Mention
German Poster Level 2 – Sam Christiansen – Lincoln High – Winner
German Short Film Level 1 – Rider Behnke, Ryker Kolikowski, Jaxon Dougherty, Graham Schlueter, Robin Lange, Colleen Lange – Lincoln Southeast – Honorable Mention
German Short Film Level 2 – Chase Oakes, Jonah Majorins, Tyler Suing – Lincoln East - Winner
Spanish Poetry Level 1 – Shelby Swapp – Lincoln High – Honorable Mention
Spanish Poster Level 1 – Autumn Veen – Lincoln Northwest – Winner
Spanish Poster Level 2 – Natalia Villamil, Cameron Wesche, Koa White, Avery Williams – Lincoln Southeast – Winner
Spanish Poster Level 2 – Mai Jacobo – Lincoln North Star – Honorable Mention
Spanish Heritage Speaker Dance – Maria Manriquez Guerrero – Lincoln Northwest – Winner
French Music Level 1 – Huck Madsen – Lincoln High – Winner
French Music Level 1 – Eh P’Zaw Paw – Lincoln High – Honorable Mention
French Music Level 2 – Maddyn Wenstrand – Lincoln Southeast – Honorable Mention
French Drama Level 2 – Lip Lip Hung – Lincoln East – Honorable Mention
French Poetry Level 1 – Ali Waly – Lincoln High – Winner
French Poetry Level 1 – Dodavah Nyicho – Lincoln East – Honorable Mention
French Poetry Level 2 – Gideon Terwilleger – Lincoln Southeast – Honorable Mention
French Creative Poetry Level 2 – Diwata Patrick – Lincoln Southeast – Winner
French Heritage Speaker Poetry + Creative Poetry – Alexandra Djopnang Konmegne – Lincoln East – Winner
French Heritage Speaker Poetry + Creative Poetry – Deborah Tshibangu – Lincoln North Star – Honorable Mention
French Film Level 1 – Timofei Prakapchuk, Maeson Sallinger, Roman Stepanyuk, Zeineddine Akpo-Idrissou – Lincoln Northwest – Winner
French Short Film - Eden Duweling, Katelyn Pischel, Katelyn Sheets, Addison Wolfe - Lincoln Southeast - Winner
French Poster Level 1 – Thee Lah Moo – Lincoln High – Honorable Mention
French Poster Level 2 – Audrey Coatney and Madison Lemons – Lincoln Northwest – Winner
French Poster Level 2 – Monty McIntosh and Morgan Lewandowski – Lincoln Northwest – Honorable Mention
French Heritage Speaker Poster – Deborah Tshibangu – Lincoln North Star – Winner
French Dance – Holli Matson – Lincoln Northwest – Winner
Japanese Music Level 2 – Vee Lundquist – Lincoln Southwest – Winner
Japanese Drama Level 1 – Camden Armstrong, Kelsey Blevins, Lizzy Davidson, Brennan Davis, Keegan Delgado, Bryson Esau, Carter Fairchild, Jayden Jensen, Paxton Kizzier, Dionna Lafler, Liv Mannschreck – Lincoln Southwest – Honorable Mention
Japanese Drama Level 2 – Layna Bernt, Morgan Christensen, Zoe Donner, Lily Huynh, Mercedes Lepper, Vee Lundquist, Colton Mahony, Kira Muckel, Kyyon Nguyen, Noah Slevin, Saxon Strait, Liam Williams – Lincoln Southwest – Winner
Japanese Poetry Level 2 – Noah Slevin – Lincoln Southwest – Honorable Mention
Japanese Poster Level 1 – Jay Myers – Lincoln Southwest – Honorable Mention
Japanese Poster Level 2 – Saxon Strait – Lincoln Southwest – Winner
Japanese Dance Level 1 – Colton Mahony – Lincoln Southwest – Winner
Japanese Dance Level 2 – Layna Bernt, Kira Muckel, Morgan Christensen, Lily Huynh, Kyyon Nguyen – Lincoln Southwest – Winner

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students capture top honors at national speech tournament

Lincoln Public Schools students showcased their speaking talents this spring by capturing top honors in a national speech tournament.
 
East, North Star, Southeast and Southwest students traveled to Bellevue West High School for the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC). The four LPS speech teams joined more than 150 other schools for NIETOC workshops and competitive events.
 
Students participated in 12 speech categories at NIETOC. They earned trophies for advancing to the octafinals, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of their events.
 
NIETOC officials split schools into three equal divisions – Act I, Act II and Act III – based on the number of competitors each team brought to Bellevue. Students scored different amounts of points for their schools based on how far they advanced in each event.

Lincoln East

East enjoyed one of the best NIETOC finishes in school history. The Spartans claimed third place in Act III team standings with 271 points. Apple Valley, Minn., was first with 334 points and Moorhead, Minn., was second with 275 points. East edged Harlingen South of Harlingen, Texas, (269 points) for the third-place spot.

 
East head coach Nick Herink said he was thrilled with the team’s success. Max Apel and Luke Nash each won national championships and Isabella Razdan and Harper Schupbach were national runners-up. Fifteen other Spartans helped the squad earn the coveted third-place trophy.
 
“We were through-the-roof excited,” Herink said. “Most people don’t appreciate how competitive speech can be, but these kids work year-round with competitions and practice. It was so cool to see an achievement like this that all of the kids had a direct hand in making happen.”
 
This year marked the second time the Spartans finished in the top three at nationals since NIETOC began in 2010. The school placed second in Act III in 2015.
 
Apel (dramatic interpretation) and Nash (oral interpretation of poetry) both soared to the top of the medal stand. Their final-round performances let them leave Bellevue with golden awards.
 
“It was a very exciting and humbling experience when I heard my name called,” Apel said. “I was so thankful to be on that stage surrounded by such talented competitors from across the nation.”
 
“The only way to describe it would be that it felt amazing,” Nash said. “I kinda felt like I froze and had to let it sink in for a moment, and then after I was just ecstatic. I can’t really put into words exactly how I felt. I had all of these people around me asking how I felt or telling me good job, and all I could think to say in response was ‘amazing’ or ‘thank you.’”
 
Razdan (extemporaneous speaking) and Schupbach (informative speaking) earned second place in their categories. In addition to their individual achievements, both earned a large number of team points.

 
Nash said it was exciting when the Spartans looked at the final leaderboard and saw they had moved into third place.
 
“It was pretty awesome to be the third-place team at a national tournament,” Nash said. “We had never done this well on the national level. Last year we placed seventh at NIETOC and were top ten at NSDA nationals, and now all of a sudden we were the third-place team. It’s really cool and I’m so happy and proud to be part of the team.”
 
Apel and Nash joined an elite group of LPS students to win national titles. The previous NIETOC champions from Lincoln were East students Carla Seravalli (2015, expository speaking), Suvy Qin (2015, original oratory) and Claire Rooney (2023, poetry) and Southwest students Mattison Merritt and Hunter Maude (2014, duet acting).
 
The Spartans began the year by setting a goal of a top-five finish at NIETOC. Herink said it was rewarding to see them secure their national dreams.
 
“The kids were the ones who came up with the goal, and at first I was admittedly nervous,” Herink said. “But then we buckled down and got to work. These kids push each other and applaud each other. To have them see their goal can be accomplished with teamwork and dedication, to me, that is the greatest lesson you can learn through speech.”
 
Lincoln East Results
Dramatic Interpretation: Max Apel – National Champion, 1st overall
Dramatic Interpretation: Sophia Wang – Octafinalist
Dramatic Interpretation: Linnea Blankenhorn – Octafinalist
Dramatic Interpretation: Jack Welstead – Octafinalist
Dramatic Interpretation: Nusrat Amin – Octafinalist
Dramatic Interpretation: Abena Bonsu – Octafinalist
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Luke Nash – National Champion, 1st overall
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Vesta Anderson – Semifinalist, 10th overall
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Sloan Donahoo – Semifinalist, 12th overall
Informative Speaking: Harper Schupbach – National Runner-Up, 2nd overall
Informative Speaking: Nitya Haridas – Octafinalist
Informative Speaking: Maggie Lammie – Octafinalist
Extemporaneous Speaking: Isabella Razdan – National Runner-Up, 2nd overall
Extemporaneous Speaking: Hannah Tang – Quarterfinalist
Humorous Interpretation: Max Apel – Semifinalist, 7th overall
Humorous Interpretation: Nusrat Amin – Quarterfinalist
Humorous Interpretation: Korben Ockander – Octafinalist
Program Oral Interpretation: Max Apel – Semifinalist, 11th overall
Program Oral Interpretation: Jack Welstead – Quarterfinalist
Program Oral Interpretation: Claire Rooney – Octafinalist
Program Oral Interpretation: Korben Ockander – Octafinalist
Duo Interpretation: Claire Rooney, Jack Welstead – Quarterfinalist
Duet Acting: Nusrat Amin, Claire Rooney – Quarterfinalist
Original Oratory: Isabella Razdan – Quarterfinalist
Original Oratory: Reazin Bauman – Quarterfinalist
Original Oratory: Ellie Hiser – Octafinalist

Lincoln Southeast

Southeast placed 11th in Act III with 75 points. Eight Knights reached the octafinals of their events and the team posted points in ten categories.

 
Olivia Nelson used her speaking talents to become a two-time semifinalist for Southeast. She finished ninth in the country in humorous interpretation and secured a tenth-place finish in informative speaking. She also teamed up with Bella McCown to earn octafinal-level points in duo interpretation.
 
Gideon Terwilleger and Aolani Wilson each reached the semifinals and Julia Johnson was a two-time octafinalist. Lillias McKillip, DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey and Kalainey Nickel all added points for the school.
 
Lincoln Southeast Results
Dramatic Interpretation: Julia Johnson – Octafinalist
Original Oratory: Julia Johnson – Octafinalist
Informative Speaking: Lillias McKillip – Octafinalist
Humorous Interpretation: DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey – Octafinalist
Program Oral Interpretation: Kalainey Nickey – Octafinalist
Duo Interpretation: Olivia Nelson, Bella McCown – Octafinalist
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Gideon Terwilleger – Semifinalist, 8th overall
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Aolani Wilson – Semifinalist, 11th overall
Humorous Interpretation: Olivia Nelson – Semifinalist, 9th overall
Informative Speaking: Olivia Nelson – Semifinalist, 10th overall

Lincoln Southwest

Southwest placed 16th in Act III with 37.50 points. Head coach Matt Heimes said he felt the Silver Hawks did well against many older competitors.
 
“I am extremely proud of the Southwest team members who competed at NIETOC,” Heimes said. “Many of them are underclassmen, so this was a great opportunity for them to watch and learn from some of the best programs in the entire country.”

 
Claire Timperley earned a national medal with a tenth-place result in impromptu speaking. Brooklyn Bruggeman posted points for the Silver Hawks in three categories, and Jack Anderson, Mason Farmer and Brooklyn Shoemaker all helped the team on the scoreboard.
 
“It was great to have several of our students advance to the elimination rounds, and the fact that Brooklyn Bruggeman advanced in all three of her events was a highlight,” Heimes said. “Claire making the national semifinals as a sophomore is another great accomplishment.”
 
Lincoln Southwest Results
Duo Interpretation: Jack Anderson, Brooklyn Bruggeman – Octafinalist
Duo Interpretation: Mason Farmer, Brooklyn Shoemaker – Octafinalist
Dramatic Interpretation: Brooklyn Bruggeman – Octafinalist
Program Oral Interpretation: Brooklyn Bruggeman – Octafinalist
Impromptu Speaking: Claire Timperley – Semifinalist, 10th overall
Extemporaneous Speaking: Jack Anderson – Quarterfinalist

Lincoln North Star

North Star tied for 44th place in Act I with ten points. Act I was the largest division with 92 teams. White Bear Lake, Minn., won the Act I team title with 85 points.
 
Head coach Alison Finn-Couch said she was proud of the way the Navigators handled the pressure of performing at nationals. Mabruka Mumade, Reyce Usher, Braxton Stuart and Avery Usher represented the school.

 
“I felt like my team did very well at NIETOC!” Finn-Couch said. “All four were simply honored to be there and gave their all in their rounds. Some even tried supplemental events as well. They were supportive of one another and the community, and were all around the pride of North Star speech.”
 
Mumade led the team by advancing to the quarterfinals of original oratory. Finn-Couch said she was thrilled to watch her enjoy a successful weekend.
 
“To see someone as dedicated and humble as Mabruka advance as far as she did was amazing to be a part of,” Finn-Couch said. “She put in so much time, energy, thoughtfulness and effort into her speech, and it was truly incredible to see her hard work being celebrated. My favorite part about seeing her advancing was seeing the team cheer her on and get as excited as they did when they saw her name.”

Lincoln North Star Results

Original Oratory: Mabruka Mumade – Quarterfinalist
Expository Speaking: Mabruka Mumade – Participant
Program Interpretation: Reyce Usher – Participant
Impromptu Speaking: Braxton Stuart – Participant
Duo Interpretation: Avery Usher, Braxton Stuart – Participant

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Science Focus Program students secure major honors at state science fair

Lincoln Public Schools students turned their scientific knowledge into state-level achievements this spring through their involvement with the Science Focus Program.
 
The Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences (NJAS) honored several SFP students for their efforts at regional and state research contests. All SFP juniors and seniors presented projects in the Southeast Regional NJAS Science Fair, and six students were selected to showcase their talents at the state level.

 
Ellery, Charlie, Elin, Joey, Hyrum and Skyler traveled to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus for the NJAS State Science Fair. Students from six regions of Nebraska spoke with judges about topics ranging from botany to biochemistry.

 
Skyler’s water research project netted her an invitation to a major contest this summer. Judges selected her to be Nebraska’s representative in the United States Stockholm Junior Water Prize. The Stockholm International Water Institute founded national and international prizes in 1997.
 
Skyler said it was exciting to be chosen for the contest. The competition is open to all high school students in grades 9-12 who have reached the age of 15 by Aug. 1. State winners will travel to Golden, Colo., in late June to present their research about water-based science topics.

 
“The competition that I entered is the Stockholm Junior Water Prize,” Skyler said. “It is the most prestigious water research competition in the world for high schoolers.”
 
Skyler developed a research project called “The Effects of Rotenone Used in Lake Kill-Offs on Macroinvertebrate Populations in Wagon Train Lake Over Time, Lancaster County, Neb.” Rotenone is an odorless and colorless substance used as an insecticide and pesticide. Wagon Train Lake State Recreation Area is located south of Lincoln near the town of Hickman.
 
The Nebraska Water Environment Association is sponsoring Skyler’s trip to Colorado. The United States winner will advance to the international contest in Stockholm, Sweden.
 
Many previous Stockholm Junior Water Prize contestants have made significant contributions to water research. Naomi Park of Greenwich, Conn., won the international prize in 2023 for her work on the removal of carbon dioxide and oil products from the ocean. She developed a Styrofoam-based substance that acts as a sponge to absorb those items from water.
 
Joey was selected to represent Nebraska at the 2025 American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS) Annual Conference. He will travel to Boston to present his research and meet student scientists from across the country.
 
Joey credited his SFP background for helping him succeed at the science fair. He is planning to pursue a degree in biochemistry at the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. He would like to study emerging genetic technologies for crop science in college.

 
“I really love science, which is why I went to the Science Focus Program,” Joey said. “The extremely small class size of less than 90 students and the staff who are knowledgeable, kind and caring were truly integral in forming my education and friendships which helped me become the learner I am today.”
 
Joey spent half a year analyzing DNA of soybean plants in an experiment designed to improve plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) for the vegetarian food market. He then created a large number of papers, tables and charts that showcased the data he accumulated.
 
Joey said the inspiration for his project came from a research course he took at SFP this past year.
 
“A piece of advice for seniors in that class was to pursue something you are interested in,” Joey said. “I have always been interested in emerging genetic technologies such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). I pursued this field by heavily researching my topic for months and then acquiring a job at the UNL plant biotechnology laboratory.”
 
Joey said he was immediately impressed with the high-quality projects he saw at the state science fair. Students had to finish in the top six spots of their regional contests to qualify for state. Their presentations included a posterboard that illustrated key aspects of their investigations, one copy of their research paper and a research notebook that showed how they gathered their data.
 
“When I walked into the science fair, I saw the other projects and did not think I was going to win,” Joey said. “There were extremely good projects in that room.”
 
Joey said his primary goal was to have good conversations with every judge he spoke with. He soon discovered he had a lot in common with many of them. One judge worked as a chemical manufacturer for the specific protein – Legume Hemoglobin – that Joey used in his project. Another owned a doctorate in animal science and talked with him about Nebraska’s cattle industry.
 
“Each judge was a master of their niche field and had interesting and unique insights into my project and field as a whole,” Joey said. “That is what I enjoy most about science, the conversations. Nothing can be more interesting than discussing science with someone who is both knowledgeable and passionate. I have always left these sorts of conversations with more knowledge, and more questions, than before.”

If you want to learn more about LPS Focus Programs like Science, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/focus to browse our options and fill out an interest form to get more information about joining.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students grow knowledge at major FFA, land judging events

Lincoln Public Schools students produced positive results this spring when they attended major FFA and land judging activities.
 
Students from The Career Academy took part in the State FFA Convention and the National Land and Range Judging Contest. State FFA events happened in Lincoln and land judging activities took place in Oklahoma.

State FFA Convention

TCA students joined more than 7,000 FFA members, advisors and guests during the state conference. They participated in competitive events, took educational tours and leadership workshops, attended general sessions and listened to motivational speakers. Activities took place at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Haymarket-area hotels and University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus.
 
Austin Kamm, Johanna Roux, Sapphire Guzman, Isabel Cressler, Kennedy Bahm, Chloe Inbody and Chase Dubas all won state awards in FFA leadership development events.

Kamm and Roux highlighted TCA’s trip by finishing second in the agricultural demonstration contest. They created a project on drip irrigation management and presented their findings to a panel of judges.

 
Bahm, Inbody and Dubas created a project on wise landscape management for the agricultural demonstration contest. Cressler delivered a presentation about prairie management for the natural resource speaking contest, and Guzman represented TCA in the employment skills category.

State FFA Leadership Development Events Results

Employment Skills – Sapphire Guzman – Silver Medal
Natural Resources Speaking – Isabel Cressler – Silver Medal
Agricultural Demonstration – Kennedy Bahm, Chloe Inbody, Chase Dubas – Silver Medal
Agricultural Demonstration – Austin Kamm, Johanna Roux – Gold Medal (State Runner-Up)

National Land and Range Judging Contest

Cressler, Guzman, Roux and Parker Smith turned their national dreams into reality when they traveled to the Canadian County Expo Center in El Reno, Okla. More than 700 students from across the country took part in events near Oklahoma City.
 
TCA qualified for nationals after finishing fifth of 46 Nebraska teams at the state land judging contest last October. Cressler earned second place in individual standings at state and Smith finished fifth. It marked the first time TCA students qualified for nationals.

 
Teams took part in 4-H and FFA divisions at the national contest. TCA finished 47th of 99 teams in the FFA division with 559 points. Blue River Valley FFA of Indiana claimed the FFA title with 760 points. Grady (Texas) FFA finished second with 734 points.
 
Thousands of students participate in land judging contests in their home states each year. The activity’s goal is for them to understand soil structure of different land parcels. They learn how to recognize physical features of the soil and determine land capability for crop production. They also evaluate what management and stewardship practices landowners should take.

 
Students used evaluation cards to judge four soil pits during the national contest. They assessed surface and subsurface texture, soil depth, potential for erosion and surface runoff and the permeability and slope of each land plot. They also determined what vegetation could grow on the land, what fertilizer would work best on each plot and what conservation methods would be suitable.
 
Judges rated each student’s evaluation card to determine individual and team scores in each division. More than 300 students collected individual scores in the FFA land judging contest. Roux led TCA with a 65th-place mark of 211 points. Smith received a score of 178 points, Guzman tallied 170 points and Cressler posted 136 points.
 
Cressler, Guzman, Roux and Smith also met multiple state and national conservation leaders during their trip to Oklahoma. National Resources Conservation Service Chief Terry Cosby, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur and Oklahoma State Conservationist Jeanne Hamilton all spoke to students during an awards ceremony.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students shine in SkillsUSA state events

Lincoln Public Schools students struck gold, silver and bronze this spring when they competed at the Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference.
 
High school students from East, North Star, Northeast and The Career Academy (TCA) minted medal-winning moments during their trip to Grand Island. They met hundreds of fellow SkillsUSA members from across Nebraska and voted for new state officers. They also took part in dozens of competitive events ranging from additive manufacturing to welding sculpture.
 
East teacher Allyn Gonsor advises the school’s SkillsUSA chapter. He said the state trip provided a great way for all LPS students and staff to showcase their classroom knowledge.
 
“It was a very rewarding feeling to watch these SkillsUSA students work so hard throughout the school year and end up finishing towards the top in the state,” Gonsor said. “Witnessing their joy of success after a long weekend of competition is worth all the time and effort as an advisor.”
 
Alyssa Jones, Cade Henke, Jaxson Fleming, Vedah Henrichs, Gage Kildare and Kelton Smith earned state medals for Northeast. Jones and Henrichs led the Rockets with state championships in their categories. Jones finished in first place in the aviation maintenance contest and Henrichs placed first in the technical drafting event.
 
North Star students Jacob Kitten and Elizabeth Rik each brought home state titles for the Navigators. Kitten won the job skill demonstration contest and Rik finished first in the pin contest.
 
Thomas Cerny, Blake Fielder, Grant Christensen and Tobias Fisher all won medals for East. The four Spartans left the conference with bronze medals in their events.
 
State leaders called the names of TCA students many times during the awards ceremony. Advisor Tom Wheeldon led a chapter that included 14 medal winners in eight categories. Abby Steele, Dilyn Ryan, Hudson Miron, Titus Miron, Anthony Williams, Max Schessler, Austin Kamm, Chloe Inbody, Chase Dubas, Kennedy Bahm, Madison Fields, Caleb Prestwich, Preston Nicholls and Sapphire Guzman secured honors for TCA.
 
Steele earned a state championship in culinary arts, Hudson Miron won a title in cabinetmaking and Williams claimed first place in computer programming. Fields captured a championship in the internetworking category, and Kamm won a title in the agriculture job skill demonstration contest.
 
Bahm, Dubas and Inbody also teamed up for a title. They used their agriculture and food knowledge to win the career pathways showcase team championship.
 
All state gold medalists earned spots in the National Leadership and Skills Conference. Students from across the country will gather at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for SkillsUSA action June 24-28.
 
LPS offers many career and technical education organizations such as SkillsUSA for students to participate in. The organizations allow students to expand their knowledge by applying academic and technical learning to real-life scenarios. They are part of a larger CTE umbrella at LPS that includes opportunities in many academic subjects.

The following LPS students finished first, second or third at the Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference.

East

Mobile Robotics Technology – Thomas Cerny, Blake Fielder – Third Place
Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue – Grant Christensen, Tobias Fisher – Third Place

North Star

Job Skill Demonstration – Jacob Kitten – First Place (State-Only Contest)
Pin Contest – Elizabeth Rik – First Place (State-Only Contest)

Northeast

Aviation Maintenance – Alyssa Jones – First Place (National Qualifier)
Photography – Cade Henke – Second Place
Power Equipment Technology – Jaxson Fleming – Second Place
Technical Drafting – Vedah Henrichs – First Place (National Qualifier)
Television (Video) Production – Gage Kildare, Kelton Smith – Second Place

The Career Academy

Culinary Arts – Abby Steele – First Place (National Qualifier)
Culinary Arts – Dilyn Ryan – Second Place
Cabinetmaking – Hudson Miron – First Place (National Qualifier)
Cabinetmaking – Titus Miron – Third Place
Computer Programming – Anthony Williams – First Place (National Qualifier)
Computer Programming – Max Schessler – Second Place
Agriculture Job Skill Demonstration – Austin Kamm – First Place (National Qualifier)
Career Pathways Showcase: Natural Resources/Ag/Food – Chloe Inbody, Chase Dubas, Kennedy Bahm – First Place (National Qualifier)
Internetworking – Madison Fields – First Place (National Qualifier)
Masonry – Caleb Prestwich – Second Place
Masonry – Preston Nicholls – Third Place
Job Interview – Sapphire Guzman – Third Place

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Southwest students win national award for unified yearbook

The heartfelt determination of Southwest High School students to include everyone in the yearbook process has resulted in national recognition for the Silver Hawks.
 
Southwest Talon yearbook staff members earned an Innovation Pacemaker Award at this spring’s Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association national convention. Often referred to as the Pulitzer Prize of scholastic journalism, Pacemaker Awards are given to school journalism teams who showcase excellence in their newspaper, yearbook, magazine, broadcasting or online projects.
 
Southwest received the Innovation Pacemaker for being one of the first schools in the country to publish a unified yearbook created by students with intellectual disabilities in partnership with peer student-journalists. They printed their first unified publication in 2022-23 and distributed their second volume this spring.
 
Southwest junior Kaylie said she is proud to have both traditional and unified yearbooks at school. She was on the inaugural unified staff and became a unified editor this past year.
 
“It was amazing,” Kaylie said. “It was my first time ever being in yearbook, and I feel like this is the best way to go through it. I’ve been in unified since my freshman year, so it’s been fun to do this with kids that I’ve met through unified. It’s just been a great opportunity.”
 
Senior Chloe also said it was fun to work on the publication both years.
 
“It helped me get more comfortable talking to people, since I had to get out of my comfort zone and go to different classrooms and interview more people,” Chloe said. “It helped with social skills and helped me be a leader, and it also helped all of my teammates.”
 
The unified yearbook team produced 40 pages of material for a separate book each year. Their content was later included in the 300-plus-page traditional school yearbook to create a unified publication.
 
Jackie and Mallory both gathered a large amount of content for the 2022-23 unified yearbook. Both seniors returned this year to develop new material for volume two.
 
“I’ve liked the whole experience and seeing how it’s done,” Mallory said. “I like how there’s a lot of teamwork with the pictures and pages. I like doing yearbook with other people.”
 
“I like the environment and how we get to do different pages that we choose,” Jackie said.
 
Journalism teacher Brandi Benson said staff members wanted to add yearbook to a long list of successful unified activities at school. Students can also participate in unified council, club, book club, physical education, choir, track and field, bowling and swimming.
 
“The coolest part is giving opportunities to more kids,” Benson said. “If we didn’t unify it, there would be a demographic of students that wouldn’t get the opportunity to be a part of it. I think it’s important to find ways to unify as many extracurricular activities as we can to give kids a chance.”
 
Unified yearbook takes place during a 45-minute portion of the school’s fourth-block class period. Students learn how to use camera equipment, upload photos to computers and format photos into yearbook-sized images. They also develop communication skills such as speaking clearly and asking journalism-style questions.
 
The seven members of the 2022-23 unified staff interviewed dozens of students and faculty. They wrote stories about marching band and unified activities and created spreads on favorite books, pets and movies.
 
Eight staff members used a similar team-based approach to build the 2023-24 pages. They produced spreads about softball, the annual Senior Sunrise event and many unified activities. They also interviewed Silver Hawks about their favorite music, sports teams and manicure designs.
 
Juniors Mary Beth and Elliana both decided to join the 2023-24 staff after hearing positive reviews from their classmates. They said it was one of the best choices they could have made.
 
“It was amazing,” Mary Beth said. “It was a great experience. It was really cool being able to help design our school’s yearbook and learn a bunch of new things, but at the same time making a lot of great relationships and having fun.”
 
“It was truly amazing,” Elliana said. “I liked seeing all of the partners and journalists grow throughout the year and watching them become more confident in their abilities.”
 
Jackie said she was happy when the yearbooks arrived on campus. She said it was nice to see the pages go from concepts on a computer screen to printed copies in their hands.
 
“It was exciting because we took a lot of time to do it,” Jackie said. “It was on the computer, so it was nice to actually see a paper book.”
 
Benson said students were also proud when they learned they were unified trailblazers in the United States.
 
“It has been really fun,” Benson said. “We did not know we were the only ones in the country to have one until we had finished it and sent our whole book off to be judged. We had multiple people reach out and say, ‘We’ve contacted other yearbook publishing companies and no one’s ever done one before.’ That was pretty cool.”
 
Mary Beth said unified yearbook will continue to provide heartfelt experiences to all Silver Hawks in the future.
 
“I think with yearbook we’re able to learn a lot about writing skills and taking pictures and all of the great skills that we learn in class, but probably most importantly it’s about making relationships and how to work well with others,” Mary Beth said. “It’s about all of the things that unified teaches us about being inclusive.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS speech, debate teams express winning words at nationals

Lincoln Public Schools students expressed winning words on stage this summer at the biggest speech and debate tournament of the year.

East, Southeast and Southwest students competed in the National Speech and Debate Tournament (NSDT). Organized by the National Speech and Debate Association, the NSDT included more than 6,700 students from 1,513 schools. Qualifiers from all 50 states, two U.S. territories and seven countries traveled to the Des Moines metro area for action.

LPS high school students participated in main and supplemental events. The contests that students qualified to compete in at nationals were called main events. They could participate in supplemental events if they did not reach the top 30 places of their main events.

East

The Spartans enjoyed their best national finish in program history. East earned a School of Outstanding Distinction honor for reaching the top ten places of overall speech and debate team point totals. The Spartans placed fifth in the country.

“Qualifying to this tournament is a huge honor that only the top three percent of competitors achieve,” head speech coach Nick Herink said. “We were fortunate enough to have a record-breaking 29 students qualify! The most in state history.”

Senior Isabella Razdan and junior Nusrat Amin both qualified for the finals of their main events. Amin won the final round of the dramatic interpretation contest, and Razdan placed fourth in the United States extemporaneous speaking category.

Herink said he was ecstatic with their efforts. Amin finished first out of 254 students and Razdan competed against 269 people.

“This is a huge milestone as Nusrat and Isabella mark East’s first main events finalists since 2011!” Herink said.

Students in dramatic interpretation select a portion of a published work to perform for up to ten minutes. Judges evaluate their ability to convey emotion to an audience.
Amin presented a segment of a play entitled “The Shroudmaker” on stage. She was thrilled when she learned she had been selected as the winner.

“I was pretty surprised,” Amin said. “I couldn’t believe this happened to me. I couldn’t believe it was me. It was genuinely a dream come true.”

Students in the U.S. extemporaneous speaking category answer questions related to current events in the United States. They draw a new question each round at nationals. They spend the next 30 minutes preparing and memorizing a seven-minute speech about their topic.

Razdan drew “How can the United States reduce the polarization of its politics?” as her question for the finals. Students from Ohio, California, Missouri, Nevada and New York joined her in the top six spots.

“I was eternally grateful and beyond excited to be a finalist in U.S. Extemp,” Razdan said. “Having worked so hard throughout the season, it was a privilege to have ended my high school speech career on the national stage. Having the opportunity to perform and receive a national award was utterly surreal.”

East junior Abena Bonsu and senior Korben Ockander reached the finals of the supplemental event of poetry reading. Bonsu earned a national championship and Ockander captured fourth place in the 431-student contest.

Bonsu was elated when the results came in. She compiled a winning score after five of the seven judges gave her a number-one ranking.

“My immediate response was shock and gratitude,” Bonsu said. “It felt so unreal to end my second year of speech being a national champion when it’s something that people work years and years to achieve. It felt like all my hard work throughout the year had paid off, and honestly, words can’t begin to explain how overjoyed I was.”

Max Apel and Luke Nash reached the semifinals (top 14 competitors), Harper Schupbach, Claire Rooney and Jack Welstead advanced to the quarterfinals (top 30) and Nitya Haridas reached the octafinals (top 60) for speech.

Five debate students advanced to elimination rounds. Senior Elaine Suh and junior Sara Cai set a school record by placing 14th in the policy debate contest. Seniors Yakub Islamov and Ben Hoover and sophomore Alex Hamric scored multiple points in their categories.

Amin and Razdan said the national tournament gave the Spartans a final chance to share the stage with their close friends.

“Competing with my teammates created a bond no other activity or sport could create,” Amin said. “I found comfort in the people I competed with, and I created so many genuine friendships and connections with people not only from my team, but across the nation.”

“The love and support from my friends and my coaches was instrumental in my journey from computer screen to stage,” Razdan said. “My team is my second family, and I have made lifelong friends from the people I competed alongside during countless weekends in the school year. The tradition of friendship and loyalty that Spartan speech fosters is one that I hope every generation carries into the future.”

East Results

Speech

Dramatic Interpretation: Nusrat Amin – First Place (254 competitors)
United States Extemporaneous Speaking: Isabella Razdan – Fourth Place (270 competitors)
Poetry Reading: Abena Bonsu – First Place; Korben Ockander – Fourth Place; Ellie Hiser – Participant; Nitya Haridas – Participant (431 competitors)
Humorous Interpretation: Max Apel – Ninth Place (259 competitors)
Program Oral Interpretation: Luke Nash – 14th Place (273 competitors)
Informative Speaking: Harper Schupbach – Tied 15th Place; Nitya Haridas – Tied 49th Place (262 competitors)
Duo Interpretation: Claire Rooney and Jack Welstead – Tied 26th Place; Abena Bonsu and Korben Ockander – Participants (254 pairs)
Original Oratory: Ellie Hiser – Participant (277 competitors)

Debate

Policy Debate: Elaine Suh and Sara Cai – 14th Place; Elaine Yu and Emma Yin – Participants (181 pairs)
Congressional Debate – House: Yakub Islamov – tied 21st Place; Maddie Huggard – Participant; Alex Hamric – Participant (448 competitors)
Congressional Debate – Senate: Kashish Nangia – Participant (448 competitors)
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Ben Hoover – 41st Place (557 competitors)
Extemporaneous Debate: Alex Hamric – Tied 67th Place; Brad Bobaru – Participant; Cheryl Zeng – Participant; Elaine Yu – Participant; Emma Yin – Participant; Jason Granquist – Participant; Jeff Shen – Participant; Kashish Nangia – Participant; Lucas Neamu – Participant; Maddie Huggard – Participant; Shriish Sathish – Participant; Sukruth Jangala – Participant (980 competitors)
Public Forum: Arnav Agarwal and Ronav Ganesh – Participants; Shriish Sathish and Sukruth Jangala – Participants (266 pairs)
World Schools Debate: Cheryl Zeng, Jason Granquist, Jeff Shen, Brad Bobaru, Lucas Neamu – Participants (198 teams)

Southeast

Southeast students beamed after becoming a nationally recognized team. The Knights were one of only 22 programs in the country to earn a School of Excellence in Speech honor. Head coach Tommy Bender said he was proud of everyone for their accomplishments.

“The whole team did such a great job!” Bender said. “The work and positive attitude of the team all season is what created the circumstances that led to the Speech School of Excellence Award, which is one of the top 20 speech teams in the nation. There were around 1,500 schools at the national tournament alone.”

Senior Olivia Nelson led the Knights with a fourth-place award in the humorous interpretation contest. The event began with 259 competitors.

“She’s put so much time and effort into her performance, so seeing it all rewarded was amazing,” Bender said.

Nelson competed in front of more than 3,000 people in the finals. When the awards ceremony took place the following night, she was on one side of the stage and Bender was on the other. When her placement was announced, they met on stage and walked off together with big smiles.

“There were definitely lots of emotions, but mostly just so happy for her!” Bender said.

Nelson is a four-year national qualifier. Bender said she is the first student to graduate from Southeast with that distinction.

Julia Johnson, Lillias McKillip and DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey all advanced in main events, and Aolani Wilson and Johnson moved to later rounds in supplemental events. Bender said it was a great way to wrap up the 2023-24 season.

“One of the things I’ve loved about this team has always been how much they work together as a team,” Bender said. “They truly care about each other and want each other to succeed.”

Southeast Results

Speech

Humorous Interpretation: Olivia Nelson – Fourth Place (259 competitors)
Dramatic Interpretation: Julia Johnson – Tied 43rd Place (254 competitors)
International Extemporaneous Speaking: Lillias McKillip – Tied 58th Place (300 competitors)
Original Oratory: DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey – 55th Place (277 competitors)
Extemporaneous Commentary: Lillias McKillip – Participant (348 competitors)
Poetry Reading: Aolani Wilson – Double-octafinalist (431 competitors)
Prose: Julia Johnson – Quarterfinalist (368 competitors)
Poetry Reading: Kalainey Nickel – Participant (431 competitors)

Debate

Congressional Debate – House: Lexi Velgersdyk – Participant (448 competitors)
Congressional Debate – Senate: Henry Cline – Participant (448 competitors)
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Hudson Witte – Tied 67th (557 competitors)

Southwest

Multiple Southwest students traveled to Des Moines for national contests. Head speech coach Matt Heimes said he and head debate coach Toni Heimes were happy with the way the Silver Hawks performed.

“Toni and I are very proud of how the LSW students did,” Heimes said. “Having six students place in eight different events was wonderful. We are especially proud of our two semifinalists – Jack (Anderson) and Spencer (Krenk). Jack finished his high school career by qualifying for nationals three years in a row and placing highly in four different events from both the speech and debate areas. He was also a candidate for the national student of the year.

“Beyond the competitive scope, we were really pleased with the atmosphere created and camaraderie displayed by our students and coaches during a stressful and busy week.”

Anderson guided the Silver Hawks with a seventh-place award in the extemporaneous commentary contest. He joined students from Pennsylvania, Nevada, Illinois, California, Minnesota, Indiana, Colorado, Texas, Florida and Idaho in the top 14 spots.

Krenk tied for 21st place in the Congressional Debate: House category. He reached the semifinals in an event that had 448 competitors.

Heimes felt the future was bright for Southwest’s program. Many Silver Hawks who qualified for nationals were either freshmen or sophomores.

“Four of the six students who advanced to elimination rounds are underclassmen, and several others who attended were as well,” Heimes said. “I really cannot overstate how important being at a national competition is to students who will return for additional seasons. In this activity, you learn as much from being in the audience and watching top-notch performers as you do by competing yourself.

“It was particularly eye-opening for our freshman attendee, Maarib Basi, who has now set very high and achievable goals for herself after being a part of the national team at such a formative point in her career.”

 
Southwest Results

Speech

Dramatic Interpretation: Brooklyn Bruggeman – Tied 43rd Place (254 competitors)
Informative Speaking: Claire Timperley – Participant (262 competitors)
Duo Interpretation: Brooklyn Shoemaker and Mason Farmer – Tied 60th Place (254 competitors)
United States Extemporaneous Speaking: Jack Anderson – tied 44th Place (270 competitors)
Poetry Reading: Jordyn Davis – Participant; Mason Farmer – Quarterfinalist (431 competitors)
Prose: Brooklyn Bruggeman – Participant (368 competitors)
Extemporaneous Commentary: Jack Anderson – Seventh Place (348 competitors)
Expository: Jordyn Davis – Participant (441 competitors)
Impromptu Speaking: Claire Timperley – Participant (578 competitors)

Debate

Congressional Debate – House: Spencer Krenk – Tied 21st Place; Elizabeth Falcone – Participant; Grant Jungers – Participant (448 competitors)
Congressional Debate – Senate: Jack Watermolen – Participant (448 competitors)
Big Questions Debate: Maarib Basi – Participant (145 competitors)
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Richard Nguyen – Tied 67th Place (557 competitors)
Public Forum: Kai Sasaki and Kyzz Azucena – Participants (266 pairs)
Extemporaneous Debate: Jack Watermolen – Participant; Richard Nguyen – Participant (980 competitors)

Want to learn more about more ways LPS students can get involved? Visit our athletics and activities page at https://home.lps.org/athletics/.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students enjoy sound of music at Pound band camp

Lincoln Public Schools students reached noteworthy destinations this summer during a weeklong journey on musical trails.
 
Dozens of LPS musicians made comforting chords come to life during a five-day band camp at Pound Middle School. Students who were in fifth and sixth grades this year practiced their instruments together for several hours each morning. They ended their final day with a public concert in front of more than 100 people.
 
Laurel, Emmett and Dax said they were happy to be at the camp. Laurel and Emmett will both be sixth graders at Lux Middle School this fall, and Dax will be starting seventh grade at Pound. Laurel was in the trumpet section, Emmett played songs on the saxophone and Dax sat in the baritone section.
 
“I did it last year when I was going into sixth grade, and I liked it a lot,” Dax said. “We played a lot of pieces and the concert was fun. It was a good chance to practice and just get better.”
 
“I didn’t want to go back to sixth grade not remembering anything about playing my instrument,” Emmett said. “Being able to play during the summer is good.”
 
Laurel said on the camp’s final day that she had learned a lot from the experience. Each instrumental section – flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, percussion, trumpet/French horn and trombone/baritone/tenor saxophone – played their own feature song at the concert. Students also secured knowledge about time measures, volume levels and more complicated song arrangements.
 
“Sometimes when you’re playing in multiple parts, you have to make sure that you’re staying on your part, and if you get off, you have to make sure you get back on track,” Laurel said.
 
LPS teachers Wade Howles, Amy Gammel and Gary Shuda guided students on their musical expeditions in Pound’s auditorium. Howles said all three directors wanted to encourage the younger players each time they picked up their instruments.
 
“I think it’s essential for us to provide opportunities for students like what we’re doing at Pound,” Howles said. “There’s a place for every single one of those kids in our instrumental music programs throughout LPS. Giving them a positive experience and deepening their enjoyment of music is incredibly important.”

Pound’s camp also gave older students a chance to pass along their expertise. Camp counselors Madeline and Adam will both be sophomores at Southeast High School this fall. Madeline worked with clarinet students and Adam helped trumpet players play polished notes.
 
“I just love helping out with band stuff,” Madeline said. “I’ve loved helping with the fifth and sixth graders, because they’re still really new to it. It’s fun to see how they react to more complicated stuff.”
 
Madeline and Adam both said they were impressed with the progress students like Laurel, Emmett and Dax made at camp.
 
“It’s nice to see these kids develop over the span of a week,” Adam said. “From Monday to today is wildly different. You can really see how these kids are reacting to different musical concepts.”
 
“In the beginning, they had no sense of loud and quiet, so it was just ear-shattering the entire time they were playing,” Madeline said with a smile. “It’s a lot better now. You can hear the difference between forte and piano.”
 
Howles felt the camp also provided a place for students to begin fine-tuning their leadership talents.
 
“I really enjoy working with the fifth graders and seeing that initial spark when everything is still so new for them,” Howles said. “With the sixth graders, it’s fun to see them show off their skills and be leaders for the younger students. Hopefully, they’ll go back to their schools in the fall ready to continue being a leader for their classmates.”
 
Madeline and Adam said they had learned just as much as the younger students. Madeline will be a section leader in Southeast’s marching band this fall and would like to go to veterinary school after graduation. Adam’s goal is to one day have the same career as Howles, Gammel and Shuda.
 
“I want to be a band director when I grow up, so I’m telling him (Howles) that I’m trying to learn everything I can from you, pretty much,” Adam said. “He’s been doing this for a large part of his life, so it’s been really great to try and pick things up from him like teaching strategies and how he deals with certain situations. I’m still trying to learn myself while helping these kids too.”
 
Dax said his camp experience gave him a glimpse of the fun musical paths he could follow the rest of his LPS career.
 
“It’s really fun to be here with a lot of kids,” Dax said. “Getting to meet new kids is good.”

Learn more about our music curriculum on our website at https://home.lps.org/music/.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students collect classroom knowledge at national education conference

Lincoln Public Schools students discovered their potential for becoming excellent educators this summer during a trip to the nation’s capital.
 
Five students from The Career Academy joined hundreds of other future teachers at the 2024 Educators Rising National Conference. Lyric Gans, Jorden Blake-Oxley, Sophia Luzum, Milana Johnson and Jacey Ryan represented TCA in Washington, D.C. They are members of TCA’s chapter of the Educators Rising organization.
 
Ryan and Blake-Oxley felt the trip gave them a valuable perspective on their future classroom careers. They said the conference’s theme – “Discovering Your Potential” – was a good description of what happened there.
 
“From the national conference I learned that hard work is the most important thing, not the award or outcome,” Ryan said. “I got an amazing learning experience out of my competition even if I didn’t get top ten, and I would do it all again. I also learned how important it is to connect with others. During a breakout room we talked with different students from all over.”
 
“I learned about the experience of an educator,” Blake-Oxley said. “I learned what it means to be passionate in what you do. I heard stories about how teachers can impact a student’s life.”
 
Ryan said she gained a great deal from watching other teams compete at the conference. She joined Gans and Blake-Oxley in the researching learning challenges contest. Students from Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, Kansas, Utah, Ohio, Virginia and Connecticut won awards in the category.
 
“I enjoyed learning from other people and hearing their views, considering we are not only from different schools but also different states,” Ryan said.
 
Luzum and Johnson took part in the children’s literature K-3 contest at nationals. Students from Illinois, Ohio, Alaska, Missouri, Virginia, Texas and Kentucky finished in the top ten.
 
Jame Cartwright works with dozens of future educators each year as TCA’s chapter advisor. She provides information about many school-based careers. Students explore topics like effective classroom management, personal development, student-centered teaching strategies, community engagement and professional growth through group and individual activities.
 
Nebraska members traveled to the Wayne State College, University of Nebraska-Omaha and University of Nebraska-Kearney campuses this past school year for networking opportunities. They also took part in statewide competitive events and traveled to leadership seminars and career fairs.
 
Ryan and Blake-Oxley said they have been encouraged by their Educators Rising experiences. The organization’s goal is to build a pipeline of teachers who will become classroom leaders across Nebraska.
 
“The part I like most about Educators Rising is the opportunity to learn the things teachers do each day,” Ryan said. “If I did a lesson plan and delivery, I would get insight into how a teacher puts together what they are working on. With what I did – research learning challenges – I enjoyed being able to learn about new things that may affect future students of mine so I am better at helping them.”
 
“I get to learn from people who either have been or aspire to be in the field of education,” Blake-Oxley said. “In addition, I get to meet tons of people who share an interest in education. I also just get to have fun with friends while working towards my future goals.”
 
Competitive events are one way students like Ryan and Blake-Oxley can gain firsthand knowledge about the teaching world. Educators Rising offers 28 categories for them to choose from each year.
 
TCA students qualified for nationals after doing well in their state-level events this spring. Juniors and seniors competed in varsity contests and freshmen and sophomores took part in junior varsity action.
 
Students had many other opportunities to learn at the conference. Professional educators led more than 40 breakout sessions that focused on topics like leadership, classroom management and service beyond the classroom.
 
Attendees also heard from several distinguished keynote speakers. Rebecka Peterson, the 2023 National Teacher of the Year from Tulsa, Okla., and Amy Loyd, who serves as assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, both offered their insights about the profession.
 
Ryan and Blake-Oxley both said their top goal as a teacher is to ensure their students can flourish academically, socially and emotionally. They felt the national conference had developed their potential for leading future generations.
 
“Something that is important to me is that students in my class can trust me,” Ryan said. “I want them to come in and look forward to learning each day. Students deserve a place where they can express their opinions creatively while also having discussions that help them grow and learn.”
 
“I want my classroom to be a safe space for everyone,” Blake-Oxley said. “I can’t wait to show my students appreciation for their hard work and watch them grow into individuals. Kids have the craziest ideas and I want to be the first to hear about them!”

LPS Educators Rising State Results

Interactive Bulletin Board – Elementary (Varsity): Emily Bender – Seventh Place (National Qualifier)
Children’s Literature Pre-K (Varsity): Caroline Buresh – Fourth Place
Children’s Literature K-3 (Varsity): Sophia Luzum, Milana Johnson (National Qualifiers)
Ethical Dilemma (Varsity): Ava Martinez, Brooklyn Michael, Makayla Peterson, Lance Stovall – Fourth Place
Inside Our Schools Presentation (Varsity): Caroline Buresh, Jacquelyn Douglas – First Place (National Qualifiers)
Inside Our Schools Presentation (Varsity): Emily Bender, Elliana Witt – Second Place (National Qualifiers)
Researching Learning Challenges (Varsity): Jorden Blake-Oxley, Lyric Gans, Jacey Ryan – Second Place (National Qualifiers)

The Career Academy is one of several focus programs at LPS giving students a customized high school experience rooted in connection and opportunities. Visit the LPS Focus Programs page on our website at https://home.lps.org/focus to explore programs like The Career Academy. 
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students ace academic tests in team activities

Lincoln Public Schools students passed tests in both academics and activities this year with a series of top-flight efforts.
 
LPS varsity teams flew into prestigious academic heights during the 2023-24 year. Nebraska Coaches Association officials announced that many LPS groups had earned the NCA Team Academic Excellence Award. They were honored for maintaining cumulative grade point averages of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale.
 
Southeast swimming and diving head coach Brett Ruoff said the state awards showed how activities and academics can help each other.
 
“Focusing on grades and passing classes holds our student-athletes to a standard and helps them learn what it takes to be successful while balancing different activities,” Ruoff said. “It also helps our student-athletes be better prepared for life after high school.”
 
The NCA award celebrated academic achievements of all varsity team members. Everyone’s GPA was calculated into the final total.
 
Volleyball was the only sport not included on the NCA list. The American Volleyball Coaches Association oversees a national academic award for all high school and collegiate volleyball squads. The AVCA will honor Nebraska teams that have compiled a 3.30 cumulative GPA over the entire 2023-24 school year later this summer.
 
LPS teams in six fall activities – cheerleading, girls and boys cross country, dance, girls golf and softball – earned state honors. They based their team GPA on grades for the Fall 2023 semester.
 
North Star’s softball program was one of the award-winning LPS groups. Head coach Dale Ruhl said he was pleased that the Navigators had done well both on the diamond and in the classroom.
 
“Softball season comes right at the beginning of the school year, so it is important that we really talk with the team about managing the academic workload along with the athletic schedules and other clubs that they are a part of at LNS,” Ruhl said. “Our team did an excellent job this year and have set the bar for future teams to achieve success on and off the field.”
 
LPS teams in four winter activities – girls basketball, boys wrestling and girls and boys swimming and diving – captured state recognition. They had two options for GPA calculations. They could either base their totals on grades from the Fall 2023 semester or from the second and third quarters combined.
 
Both Southeast swimming and diving teams earned winter awards. Ruoff said the 29 girls and 12 boys who entered the pool began the season learning that “student-athlete” means student-first.
 
“One of the most important lessons our team members take away from the program is how to balance academics and athletics,” Ruoff said. “We regularly check grades, and we encourage our athletes to work with their teachers if they are struggling with a class before it is reflected in their grades. I think balancing the different areas of a student-athlete’s life is one of the vital lessons they learn and develop from their participation in sports, and it helps prepare them to be more successful after they graduate.”
 
LPS teams in two spring activities – girls and boys track and field – qualified for the honor. They based their GPA on grades for the Spring 2024 semester.
 
The Southwest girls and boys track and field teams both captured awards. Head coach Kevin Schrad said the Silver Hawks have weekly grade checks as part of their academics-first outlook. Coaches and athletes also serve as tutors for teammates who are struggling.
 
“We preach ‘team first’ at LSW,” Schrad said. “It is important to our athletes that our team is successful, so that carries over to the academic side.”
 
Schrad and Ruhl said academics and activities help students develop successful personal traits. High schoolers learn lessons like work ethic, time management and perseverance from studying academic subjects. All of those skills are beneficial in batter’s boxes, swimming pools, track lanes and, eventually, future work environments.
 
“I think the traits of achieving academic success definitely carry over,” Ruhl said. “The success creates a culture of accountability within the program as well as instills self-confidence in the student-athlete. Softball is a game where you can be humbled quickly, so having that self-confidence serves them well on the field as well.”
 
“We work with our athletes who are doing multiple things to find the right balance of track, other activities and academics,” Schrad said. “Our athletes seem to appreciate that they can do other activities, do well in the classroom and perform at a high level in track and field. It helps them become a well-rounded person who can handle all kinds of adversity.”

Fall 2023 Award Recipients

(3.30 team cumulative GPA for Fall 2023 semester)
Cheerleading: East, North Star, Northeast, Southwest (Class A)
Girls Cross Country: East, North Star, Southeast (Class A), Northwest (Class B)
Boys Cross Country: East, North Star, Southeast (Class A)
Dance: East, Northeast, Southwest (Class A), Standing Bear (Class B)
Girls Golf: East (Class A)
Softball: North Star (Class A), Northwest (Class B)
Volleyball: A list of Nebraska AVCA award recipients will be released later this summer.

Winter 2023-24 Award Recipients

(3.30 team cumulative GPA for either Fall 2023 semester or second and third quarters combined)
Girls Basketball: Southwest (Class A)
Girls Swimming and Diving: Southeast (Class A)
Boys Swimming and Diving: Southeast (Class A)
Boys Wrestling: Northeast (Class A)

Spring 2024 Award Recipients

(3.30 team cumulative GPA for Spring 2024 semester)
Girls Track and Field: Southwest (Class A)
Boys Track and Field: Southwest (Class A)

Want to know more about how to get involved at Lincoln Public Schools? Visit our website at https://home.lps.org/athletics to learn more about our athletics and activities. 
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS students bank winning marks in state, national business leadership contests

Lincoln Public Schools students created winning portfolios this spring with high-performing marks in state and national business contests.
 
High school students from East, North Star, Northeast, Southwest and Standing Bear earned major awards at the Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference (SLC). More than 2,100 middle and high school students and advisors from 140 state chapters attended the conference in Kearney.
 
Hundreds of FBLA members took part in competitive events. The top eight students in each category earned state medals. Students who finished outside the top eight spots in an event could receive honorable mention awards if they finished within the top four percent of all competitors.
 
Forty-nine LPS students captured state recognition for their work. Nebraska students who placed first, second or third in their contests automatically qualified for a trip to the national conference. National FBLA events took place June 27-July 2 in Orlando.
 
Students were only allowed to compete in one competitive individual/team event at the national conference. If they qualified for nationals in more than one category, they had to choose which event they would like to enter.
 
This rule provides opportunities for more students from each state to attend the national conference. For example, if a student chose to compete in Event A instead of Event B, this would have created an open spot in Event B. Spots may also have come open if students were unable to attend nationals due to scheduling conflicts.
 
Nebraska FBLA officials offered spots to the next student or team on the list based on how they finished at state. They continued to offer national tickets until all three competitor slots were filled in each category.
 
Each school has a list of state medalists at the end of its recap. Students may have qualified for nationals in multiple categories, but a national qualifier designation is only listed next to the event they chose to participate in at Orlando.

Lincoln East

East business teacher Lori Anderson-Stowe said she was proud of her students for their efforts at state. Nineteen were either state medalists or honorable mention recipients and 11 Spartans accepted invitations to national contests.
 
“The members were very happy with their results and many are looking forward to competing at the National Leadership Conference this summer,” Anderson-Stowe said. “They are competing in a wide variety of events.”

 
Arnav Agarwal, Shrey Agarwal, Brad Bobaru, George Campbell, Alexander Costea, Tan Do, Rikhil Jasti, Anish Koduri, Annabelle Kumm, Jack Soukup and Logan You represented East at nationals.

Shrey Agarwal reached the finals of the future business leader contest, Kumm reached the finals of the visual design category and Jasti reached the finals of the introduction to marketing event. Agarwal and Kumm both earned second place in the nation and Jasti earned third place. They received trophies for their achievements at the Awards of Excellence Ceremony on July 2.

Lincoln East Results

Advertising: Zoe Campbell – Third Place
Agribusiness: Alexander Costea – Fourth Place (National Qualifier)
Business Calculations: Shrey Agarwal – Second Place
Business Calculations: Logan You – Third Place (National Qualifier)
Business Calculations: Mason Chandler – Fourth Place
Business Communication: Jack Soukup – Second Place
Business Law: Jack Soukup – Fifth Place
Coding and Programming: Yakub Islamov – First Place
Coding and Programming: Arnav Agarwal – Sixth Place (National Qualifier)
Computer Problem Solving: Yakub Islamov – First Place
Computer Problem Solving: Ronav Ganesh – Honorable Mention
Cyber Security: Yakub Islamov – First Place
Cyber Security: Cheryl Zeng – Honorable Mention
Data Analysis: Shrey Agarwal, Mason Chandler, Ian Tinsley – First Place
Economics: Zoe Campbell – Second Place
Economics: Shrey Agarwal – Fourth Place
Economics: Mason Chandler – Fifth Place
Economics: Jack Soukup – Eighth Place (National Qualifier)
Future Business Leader: Shrey Agarwal – First Place (National Qualifier)
Help Desk: Cheryl Zeng – Seventh Place
Human Resources Management: Logan You – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Business Communication: Ronav Ganesh – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Business Communication: Tan Do – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Business Concepts: Rikhil Jasti – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Business Procedures: Anish Koduri – Third Place
Introduction to Business Procedures: Tan Do – Fourth Place (National Qualifier)
Introduction to Business Procedures: Rikhil Jasti – Sixth Place
Introduction to Business Procedures: George Campbell – Honorable Mention (National Qualifier)
Introduction to Business Procedures: Arnav Agarwal – Honorable Mention
Introduction to FBLA: Annabelle Kumm – First Place
Introduction to FBLA: Rikhil Jasti – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Financial Math: Anish Koduri – Sixth Place
Introduction to Financial Math: Arnav Agarwal – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Information Technology: Anish Koduri – Third Place (National Qualifier)
Introduction to Information Technology: Tan Do – Fourth Place
Introduction to Information Technology: Arnav Agarwal – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Information Technology: Ayush Mishra – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Marketing Concepts: Rikhil Jasti – Second Place (National Qualifier)
Introduction to Marketing Concepts: Ronav Ganesh – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure: Rikhil Jasti – Eighth Place
Job Interview: Shrey Agarwal – Honorable Mention
Journalism: Lawson Martinez – Eighth Place
Marketing: Lawson Martinez – Eighth Place
Networking Infrastructures: Yakub Islamov – First Place
Organizational Leadership: Logan You – Honorable Mention
Personal Finance: Mason Chandler – Second Place
Personal Finance: Jack Soukup – Honorable Mention
Securities and Investments: Mason Chandler – First Place
Supply Chain Management: Annabelle Kumm – Fifth Place
UX Design: Brad Bobaru – Fifth Place (National Qualifier)
Visual Design: Annabelle Kumm – First Place (National Qualifier)
Website Coding and Programming: Yakub Islamov – Fourth Place

Lincoln North Star

Davis Ball and Grant Streff led North Star’s chapter at the conference. Ball said the Navigators were happy with the way they competed. The team had 13 state medalists and sent five students to nationals.
 
“We were very pleased with our performance at SLC this year,” Ball said. “North Star took its largest group (24 students) to state this year with a number of younger and new members experiencing their first state conference.”

 
Brooke Adam, Kristi Chumber, Ezekiel Menter, Rachel Harre and Avari Osentowski traveled to Florida for national events. Adam led the school with four state medals during her time in Kearney.
 
Ball said he believes the future is bright for North Star’s program. Many Navigators were either freshmen or sophomores this year, and more than 75 students participated in chapter activities throughout 2023-24.
 
“We were super excited our young group got the chance to attend and compete against the rest of the state, and we were humbled to bring home the title of largest Class A FBLA chapter (77 members) for the second year in a row,” Ball said.

Lincoln North Star Results

Accounting I: Brooke Adam – Honorable Mention
Advertising: Jake Taylor – Honorable Mention
Business Calculations: Brooke Adam – Eighth Place
Entrepreneurship: Ezekiel Menter, Jack Sindelar – Seventh Place
International Business: Brooke Adam, Kristi Chumber, Ezekiel Menter – Fourth Place (National Qualifiers)
International Business: Eva Sindelar, Jack Sindelar – Fifth Place
Introduction to Business Communication: Eva Sindelar – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Business Concepts: Isaac Rabago – Second Place
Introduction to Event Planning: Jace Medina, Isaac Rabago, Ryan Vogt – Fourth Place
Introduction to Financial Math: Isaac Rabago – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure: Max Roberts – Honorable Mention
Journalism: Brooke Adam – Honorable Mention
Marketing: Jace Medina, Isaac Rabago, Jake Taylor – Seventh Place
Organizational Leadership: Alex Moyer – Honorable Mention
Sports and Entertainment Management: Rachel Harre, Avari Osentowski – Fifth Place (National Qualifiers)

Lincoln Northeast

Shanda Dinneen and Brett Davis guided Northeast’s chapter throughout the school year. Adam Kramer and Jorden Blake-Oxley each brought home state medals for the Rockets. They collected their prizes in the human resources management category.

Lincoln Northeast Results

Human Resources Management: Adam Kramer – Seventh Place
Human Resources Management: Jorden Blake-Oxley – Eighth Place

Lincoln Southwest

Southwest business teacher Josh Hinrichs said he was pleased with the state results. The Silver Hawks had 13 medalists and sent seven students to the national conference.

“I am very happy with how well our students performed,” Hinrichs said. “We are the only chapter in Lincoln, and probably one of the few, if not the only, in the state, that has required weekly study sessions, so having students perform as well as our students did validates their efforts. It will also help inspire members returning and new next year to dedicate themselves each week so they can get on stage and hopefully qualify for NLC next year.”

 
Shreeram Chauradia, Alexandria Lionberger, Alaina Miller, Autumn Stock, Claire Timperley, Isha Valloppilly and Cole Wilkason represented Southwest at nationals. Stock, Wilkason and Timperley each won state championships for the school.

Timperley advanced to the finals of the impromptu speaking category at nationals, and Lionberger, Miller and Valloppilly captured a spot in the sales presentation finals. Timperley pocketed a sixth-place trophy and Lionberger, Miller and Valloppilly finished tenth in the nation.

Lincoln Southwest Results

Advertising: Cole Wilkason – First Place (National Qualifier)
Agribusiness: Autumn Stock – Honorable Mention
Business Calculations: Cole Wilkason – Honorable Mention
Business Calculations: Poppy Brown – Honorable Mention
Business Ethics: Jada Frank, Elliana Witt – Honorable Mention
Business Plan: Jada Frank, Stefani Johnson, Elliana Witt – Second Place
Electronic Career Portfolio: Aubrey Bailey – Eighth Place
Graphic Design: Autumn Stock – First Place
Human Resources Management: Stefani Johnson – Honorable Mention
Impromptu Speaking: Claire Timperley – First Place (National Qualifier)
Insurance and Risk Management: Shreeram Chauradia – Fifth Place
Introduction to Business Communication: Claire Timperley – Honorable Mention
Introduction to FBLA: Jonathon Oetken – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Financial Math: Claire Timperley – Second Place
Journalism: Poppy Brown – Honorable Mention
Journalism: Shreeram Chauradia – Honorable Mention
Organizational Leadership: Claire Timperley – Fourth Place
Organizational Leadership: Jada Frank – Seventh Place
Public Policy and Advocacy: Cole Wilkason – Honorable Mention
Sales Presentation: Alexandria Lionberger, Alaina Miller, Isha Valloppilly – Third Place (National Qualifiers)
Securities and Investments: Shreeram Chauradia – Fifth Place (National Qualifier)
Supply Chain Management: Autumn Stock – Second Place (National Qualifier)
UX Design: Claire Timperley – Fourth Place
UX Design: Aubrey Bailey – Honorable Mention

Lincoln Standing Bear

Jacob Shaffer guided Standing Bear students in the school’s inaugural year. He felt the program got off to a successful start. Addie Kahle, Kamryn Wanser and Hailey Schroeder took part in state events for the Grizzlies.

 
“Each of our students (Addie, Hailey and Kamryn) who attended the conference did a great job representing Standing Bear,” Shaffer said. “I was happy with the way these students approached their competitions and gave their best effort and participation in learning about FBLA’s officer election process, presentation events and seminars.”
 
Kahle and Wanser secured the first state awards in program history. Kahle reached the medal stage by finishing eighth in her marketing concepts category, and Wanser pocketed honorable mention recognition in a business concepts contest.

 
Shaffer said all three students created a strong foundation for Standing Bear’s program with their state appearances.
 
“Attending the state conference for the first time gave our students a great look at what FBLA offers,” Shaffer said. “Having Addie place eighth in one of her events and Kamryn earn an honorable mention in one of hers is a testament to their skills and hard work. We’re looking forward to building toward next year!”

Lincoln Standing Bear Results

Introduction to Business Concepts: Kamryn Wanser – Honorable Mention
Introduction to Marketing Concepts: Addison Kahle – Eighth Place
 
LPS offers many career and technical opportunities like FBLA giving students to apply their academic and technical skills to real-life scenarios, gain valuable experience and set themselves for future success. 

To learn more about our career and technical education curriculum and CTE-related activities, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/cte. 
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Two LPS young creatives earn national tributes for writing, artistic talents

Lincoln Public Schools students Gabi and Cheryl used their creative talents to craft award-winning art and writing legacies this year.
 
Both students won prestigious honors in the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards contest. Gabi, who finished her sophomore year at Lincoln High School this past spring, earned a National American Visions Award for her sculpture entitled “fatigue.” Cheryl, who completed her junior year at East High School, earned a National American Voices Award for her writing piece entitled “Paper Cranes.”
 
Gabi was one of only 85 students from across the country to receive an American Visions Award, and Cheryl was one of only 45 students to receive an American Voices Award. There were more than 10,000 art and writing submissions in the contest, which was sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
 
Gabi and Cheryl won state-level Gold Key Awards for their efforts, and a panel of national judges selected them for American Visions (art) and American Voices (writing) honors. Both said they were thrilled when they learned about the awards.
 
“I was very surprised,” Gabi said. “I went to go see the state art show in Omaha this spring, and I was looking at all of the pieces, and I was thinking, ‘Everything’s so cool. There’s no way mine won.’ I took a bunch of pictures of pieces that I thought were really cool. It was really surprising to hear how my piece did.”
 
“I pulled the announcement up on my phone when I was sitting on my bed, and I kind of screamed to myself,” Cheryl said. “It really didn’t hit what the award meant at first, because I didn’t have context as to what the American Voices Award was, but when I got the numbers back and found out how many there were nationwide, it really hit then.”

Gabi

Gabi said the idea for “fatigue” came from her personal experiences this past winter. The combination of school, show choir and theater activities filled her calendar to a point where she felt overwhelmed. She decided to use sculpture as an outlet for her emotions.
 
“I was fatigued,” Gabi said. “At the time I was experiencing burnout, so I thought, ‘Let’s create something about that.’”

 
Gabi learned more about sculpture techniques after taking classes with Shawn Stokes over the past two years. The LHS art teacher said she was proud to see the amount of work ethic Gabi displayed while creating “fatigue.” She said Gabi is the first student in Lincoln High history to win a National American Visions Award.
 
“This is a rare, but deserved, feat for a high school visual artist,” Stokes said. “I am so thrilled for Gabi to get this honor, especially on a national stage that is the Scholastic Art Awards.”

 
Gabi’s mother, Jenn, said she glimpsed her daughter’s talent at church when she was a young child. Jenn had given her playdough to entertain herself during the service, and Gabi created a blooming rose out of the material. The flower’s intricate detail made her mom stop and smile.
 
“It was just the most beautiful thing,” Jenn said. “It was something that made me realize that Gabi had a lot of artistic talent. We’re super proud of her for using her talent in such a positive way with all of the things she creates.”

 
Stokes said Gabi’s passion for artwork is a major reason for her success. She has watched Gabi generate high-quality paintings, drawings, sculptures and photography.
 
“Gabi always has a personal connection to her work,” Stokes said. “She is motivated by saying something in her work. That expression, in combination with her technical skills, makes her a great visionary and artist.”
 
Gabi originally thought photography would be the best way to produce “fatigue,” but she soon realized sculpture would be a better option. Her artwork shows someone with their hands curled up by their cheeks and their face wearing a tired expression.

 
Gabi added a family connection to the piece, as her younger sister was the model for the hands. She completed the entire sculpting process in several weeks both at school and home.
 
Gabi said it was humbling to know her efforts had made a positive impression on professional judges. She said her experience with “fatigue” had given her the confidence to continue exploring many artistic avenues.
 
“I definitely enjoyed it,” Gabi said. “The ability to make things out of a lump of clay is so cool to me. It’s just fun to work with.”

Cheryl

Cheryl said East teachers Toni Siedel-Dutton and Sarah Staples-Farmer gave her valuable literary insights this past school year. She said both helped her learn that outside-the-box thinking can be a key part of a writer’s toolbox.
 
“I definitely took note of how much fun being unconventional can be,” Cheryl said. “There are all sorts of things you can work with: the pace, the spacing, putting things in places where they might not normally fit. It’s fun to come up with those ideas and see how they can work best.”

 
Siedel-Dutton spent time with Cheryl during the fall semester in an AP Language and Composition class. She said Cheryl has “a wonderful balance” of being creative, intuitive and academically-minded.
 
“In many ways, Cheryl’s writing stands apart from the typical high school writer,” Siedel-Dutton said. “Her insights and the perspective she offers made her writing both wise and sometimes heartbreaking.”

 
Staples-Farmer has watched Cheryl display her writing skills for three semesters. She felt Cheryl’s willingness to work hard at the craft of writing has led to exceptional outcomes.
 
“Cheryl is not just a ‘good’ writer; she is a brilliant writer who considers her audience and what they will need to understand her message as an author,” Staples-Farmer said. “Great writers are usually great thinkers, and they perceive the world in a way that inspires readers to view the world through a new lens. I believe Cheryl to be one of these writers.”
 
Cheryl said she wrote “Paper Cranes” to express the many emotions that came after her grandmother’s death. She talked about the impact her grandmother made on the lives of her family, and she spoke about the relationship she currently has with her mother. She also reflected on experiencing true sorrow for the first time.
 
“It was difficult,” Cheryl said. “It definitely taught me a lot about my self-discipline and personal responsibilities. Overall, it was my first confrontation with grief, so it was a lot to deal with.”

 
Siedel-Dutton said “Paper Cranes” revealed the amount of talent Cheryl has.
 
“She made such unique and sophisticated style choices as she grappled with the death of her grandmother and the legacy of her grandmother’s life, particularly in relation to Cheryl’s mother and Cheryl,” Siedel-Dutton said. “In a word, it was beautiful and moving.”
 
Cheryl has collected an impressive list of accolades in the past six months. She was selected as the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District in May. Her painting featuring the Sower statue at the top of the Nebraska State Capitol is currently being displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

 
Cheryl earned a “Superior” designation in this spring’s National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards in Writing competition. She penned an essay that blended her own personal artwork with narrative writing.
 
Cheryl also won first place in the art division of the Nebraska Emerging Writers and Artists Contest. She captured top honors with a piece entitled “Through Binoculars.”
 
Staples-Farmer and East Principal Casey Fries said it is exciting to see Cheryl receiving state and national applause for her talents. Both felt she would continue to write winning words in the future.
 
“Cheryl is a remarkable person,” Fries said. “I think she sets a great example for students, not only with her work ethic but also being able to take risks. She’s someone who is a great role model for everyone she meets.”
 
“I’ve enjoyed watching her mature and develop as a young author and one who realizes the power of writing and the joy that can come from building a piece of writing into something spectacular,” Staples-Farmer said.
 
Three LPS students also earned silver medals in this year’s national contest. North Star student Genesis was honored for a work entitled “Immigration: Missing Family,” and Lincoln High student Vaishvika’s work entitled “code switch” was a medal-winning piece. Arts and Humanities student Ethan created an award-winning comic book entitled “Roaches vs. Rats” for the contest.
 
LPS offers many English and language arts classes at both secondary and elementary levels. View our resources about classroom lessons, summer reading programs and district activities such as speech and yearbook.

Learn more about the wide array of LPS art classes to see a list of our art teachers, study programs and area museums and galleries links on our website: https://home.lps.org/art/.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Knights pocket national awards for American history knowledge

History proved to be a winning subject for Southeast High School students at one of the largest school-based social studies contests in the country.
 
Adam, Elijah, Jackson, Jacob, John Mark, Kyan and Lillie qualified for this summer’s National History Day (NHD) Contest. The Lincoln Public Schools students built detailed projects about a range of historical subjects and shared them with state judges this spring. Their hard work helped them advance to the national stage.
 
Jacob said the trip to the University of Maryland-College Park was full of bright moments. NHD officials provided field trips, professional development opportunities and educational activities for nearly 3,000 students and teachers.
 
“Competing at nationals was an incredible experience,” Jacob said. “It was an opportunity for our friend group to hang out for a few days across the country, something we would have never done without National History Day. Each of us enjoyed experiencing Maryland’s campus and the history of Washington, D.C.”
 
LPS K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Specialist Jaci Kellison said the Knights represented LPS well at the conference.
 
“Recognition for our U.S. history students at the national level is an outstanding accomplishment that shows not only the talent and commitment of our scholars, but also the dedication of our teachers to support and guide students through opportunities such as National History Day,” Kellison said.
 
Adam, Elijah, Jackson and Jacob beamed after they won the prestigious George Washington Leadership in History Prize. They created a nine-minute documentary entitled “The Whiskey Rebellion: A Revolt on the Western Frontier” for the senior group documentary contest.
 
Southeast social studies teacher Noa Craft said he was thrilled for the four Knights. National judges present a $1,000 prize each year to a project that demonstrates clear understanding of the ideas and events defined by George Washington’s life, leadership and legacy. They give special consideration to projects like Southeast’s that showcase innovative and compelling ways to tell Washington’s story.

 
“The boys put together a great documentary and they became great salesmen for their project,” Craft said. “At the same time, it is a rare feat for one of our projects to receive national recognition, so I was elated. The recognition was much deserved and a byproduct of the hard work they put into this project over the course of the year.”
 
“When our group won the George Washington Leadership in History Award, each of us were completely shocked,” Jacob said. “We were mostly traveling all the way to nationals for the experience, but had ruled out winning any sort of award considering the amount of students that attend every year. We were proud to be able to represent Southeast and Nebraska as a whole at a national competition.”
 
Jacob said the Knights were happy to hear reviews of their state-winning project from experienced panelists.
 
“Although we had small expectations while competing, each of us still cared and were nervous for the judging,” Jacob said. “Since we had focused on the Whiskey Rebellion for so long, it felt good to answer the judges’ questions for a final time and give our documentary a solid conclusion.”
 
Judges selected John Mark’s state-winning senior individual exhibit to be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. “The Invention of the Nuclear Bomb” joined 50 other projects during a daylong event at the museum. Craft said, to his knowledge, no other Southeast student has ever had a project displayed at the Smithsonian.
 
“I was very excited to see John Mark earn his opportunity because he worked as hard, if not harder, than any other student I had this semester,” Craft said. “He came in several times after school to get additional feedback and created a fantastic project. Getting this recognition and having the opportunity to meet other students from all around the country in the same position was much deserved for John Mark.”

 
John Mark said he enjoyed seeing the creative talent and passion for history that many students showcased at nationals. He said it was also fun to learn background details about a major turning point in American history.
 
“I’d say the most interesting part of my research on the Manhattan Project was seeing how much trial and error it took to create the bomb,” John Mark said. “From the beginning of the project, there was a massive sense of urgency because there were rumors of the Germans having a similar program. Even with this urgency and pressure, the scientists at the Manhattan Project still overcame challenge after challenge to produce a world-changing technological discovery.”
 
Kyan won first place at state in the senior individual documentary division for “Sparking the Atomic Age: The Manhattan Project and its Legacy,” and Lillie placed second in the senior historical paper category for “The Salem Witch Trials and the New American Justice System.” Craft said he was proud of their national-qualifying success.
 
“Like the other two groups, Kyan and Lillie worked very hard on their projects,” Craft said. “It is always nice to see hard work get the recognition it deserves.”
 
Kellison said current social studies activities like National History Day give students valuable ways to improve their futures.
 
“There are many opportunities like National History Day available to students,” Kellison said. “These types of activities help students take ownership of their learning, take pride in their work and apply their knowledge in unique and innovative ways.”

Watch the students' documentary below. 

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Southwest volleyball players earn national award for academic excellence

Southwest High School volleyball players soared into prestigious academic heights this past school year with top-flight efforts in the classroom.
 
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced that the Silver Hawks earned the AVCA Team Academic Award. Collegiate and high school volleyball programs had to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2023-24 academic year. All 15 Southwest varsity players were included in the overall GPA.
 
Southwest head coach Jessica Kirkendall said she was impressed with the team’s work ethic both on and off the court. The Silver Hawks claimed the school’s first state volleyball championship last fall after winning all three Class A matches. She applied for the AVCA honor knowing that players had the same amount of classroom talent.
 
“The word student comes before athletes for a reason,” Kirkendall said. “It’s an expectation that our athletes are competing in their academics just as they would on the court. This is not always an easy task throughout the season due to practices after school, evening matches and weekend practices or tournaments.
 
“However, this group of girls handled it very well and finished the year with a cumulative GPA of 3.8108. That is a huge team accomplishment where not just the athletes who got time on the court contributed, but all 15 girls helped our team achieve such an award.”
 
Southwest Activities Director Andrew Sherman said the award spoke volumes about the team’s positive mindset. Many Silver Hawks took advanced placement (AP) classes during the school year. They also maintained spots on Southwest’s honor roll, were National Honor Society members, won academic-based contests and were involved in many school and community activities.
 
“The 23-24 Lincoln Southwest volleyball team gave our community a lot to cheer about,” Sherman said. “This team’s success on the court (state champions) and in the classroom (AVCA Team Academic Award) is unparalleled. Our team was filled with high-character, hardworking kids who loved to compete, making it easy to support them. Our coaching staff did an amazing job balancing accountability and making the season fun.”
 
The AVCA has sponsored the program since 1992 to celebrate the academic credentials of players across the country. AVCA Chief Executive Officer Jaime Gordon said it was inspiring to watch teams like Southwest achieve top marks in their studies.
 
“This is a great example of how committed our coaches are when it comes to helping their players reach their full potential as both students and athletes,” Gordon said.
 
The high school girls division had the most award recipients this year, with 508 teams earning national recognition. The two-year college women, college men, collegiate beach, high school beach and high school boys divisions also broke records for total recipients.
 
Head coaches had to be active members of both the AVCA and Nebraska Coaches Association (NCA) to nominate their teams for the award. They had to submit applications to the AVCA by July 2.
 
The Silver Hawks also earned the NCA Jean Groth Volleyball Team Academic Excellence Award. The state award had the same criteria as the AVCA honor. NCA officials honored the Silver Hawks at the NCA Multi-Sports Clinic in late July.

 
Kirkendall said Southwest players had many positive qualities that helped them be successful in all of their pursuits. Teammates helped each other with homework on bus rides, provided encouragement in between class periods and became mentors to younger students in the program.
 
“This team had a ton of passion for the game,” Kirkendall said. “They knew that in order to be able to play the game they love, they needed to work hard in their classes as well. In addition, these girls were not just teammates, they were best friends. When you are playing with the people you love, you work hard for those other girls.”
 
Sherman said it was important to highlight the team’s academic achievements. In addition to setting solid foundations for their own futures, Southwest players also became shining examples for hundreds of LPS students.
 
“Celebrating the hard work of our student-athletes in the classroom is crucial to education-based athletics,” Sherman said. “Success on the court does not happen without first having some success in the classroom. This award is a great reminder of that. Lincoln Southwest is extremely proud of our volleyball team’s success.”
 
Kirkendall said everyone in the program helped the Silver Hawks fly into prestigious heights in both academics and athletics this year.
 
“We had accountability, hard work ethic, common goals, genuine friendship and trust within our team,” Kirkendall said. “That helped lead us to our first-ever state championship at LSW and this AVCA Team Academic Award.”
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

LPS clubs and activities: A winning formula for student success

Lincoln High School students Silvia and Nina are prime examples of how club activities are part of winning academic and social equations for students.
 
Silvia and Nina are co-presidents of the school’s math club and math team this year. They and hundreds of other Lincoln Public Schools students have found joy, friendships and classroom success from a wide range of enriching activities. Both said their involvement in math club has multiplied their social and academic well-being throughout the day – two goals connected with the LPS 2024-29 Strategic Plan. 
 
“I have loved getting people who don’t normally gravitate towards math involved, as well as showing people different ways to involve math in everyday life such as building rockets for a club day!” Silvia said. “It’s just been great to build such an open and welcoming community overall.”

“I really enjoy the community being created in math club,” Nina said. “It is not exclusive at all; anyone from any math class or level is welcome to join. I love how many different perspectives people bring to the team, especially compared to my classes where it’s often the same people with me the whole school day.”

 
LHS math teacher Pat Janike has watched students like Silvia blossom in math club. He led members in many activities during their monthly meetings last year. They worked with spirograph art, designed and launched paper rockets, held a Pi Day celebration in March, solved math puzzles and built marshmallow-and-toothpick towers.
 
“The goal is to help students see math as fun and interesting,” Janike said. “Our meetings are usually very lively, interactive and busy. For our math club, I just hope students feel the joy that can come from playing with mathematics.”
 
Multiple research-based studies have shown a wide range of benefits for students who are involved in school-based extracurricular activities. They typically earn better grades, learn how to set goals, create more friendships, have better attendance and develop traits like empathy, kindness and teamwork.

 
Janike said those benefits can happen regardless of which club students attend.
 
“It may not be surprising to hear that if a student is in math club, they will be more likely to do well in math,” Janike said. “But studies suggest that the club and class connection doesn’t matter. So being a part of, say Just Dance Club, helps students feel more connected to school and therefore can also result in better performance in math class.”
 
LPS middle and high schools provide many opportunities for students to join clubs each year. Some groups meet once a month during the academic day, while others gather more often on an after-school basis.

 
Christine Foy, a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing at Southeast High School, leads a sign language club during the year. She teaches basic communication skills in American Sign Language and knowledge of deaf culture. She said involvement in clubs is “extremely important” for students.
 
“It gives the students something extra to look forward to, to make school fun and to meet like-minded peers,” Foy said. “School involvement invokes a sense of school pride. Students who are involved and feel pride in their school tend to be more successful, and they can look back on their time here as some of the most important and influential years in their journey to becoming successful, well-rounded adults.”
 
Abby Berry has guided students at Pound Middle School for 12 years. Prior to her current role as a school counselor, she taught sixth grade and hosted clubs such as cooking and card games. She said Pound’s clubs help the school live out its motto of E1B, which stands for Everyone Belongs.
 
“It’s incredibly important for students to be involved in something,” Berry said. “Belonging and connection are essential needs for all humans, and offering clubs lets students gather with a common interest.”
 
Former school counselor Rene Hodges founded Pound’s program and added new club options each year based on student feedback. Berry is continuing that student-centered approach by offering more than 20 clubs this year. In addition to time-tested hobbies such as chess, guitar and woodworking, new activities like color guard – the art of spinning and tossing flags for marching band – have sprouted up for 2024-25.

 
Those efforts are bearing fruit with record-setting attendance. Berry said 2023-24 marked the best total in Pound’s history, with students making more than 2,100 individual visits to club meetings.
 
“It is so cool to see students excited about getting involved, and I totally nerd out on all the possibilities clubs could lead to,” Berry said. “What if a student meets their lifelong friend at a club? Or someone tries a new hobby and it sparks a lifelong passion? Or a student makes a great connection with the club sponsor, who they would have never had as a teacher otherwise?
 
“There are so many possibilities that start with just showing up to something, and that’s what fuels me to make Pound’s clubs appealing and accessible.”

Silvia and Nina said math activities have helped them learn about teamwork, problem solving and communication skills.
 
“I’ve also been lucky enough to see many people who normally don’t gravitate towards math start to find some enjoyment in it after seeing it in a new light,” Silvia said. “It really has shown me how a new perspective/approach to a topic can change someone’s opinion a lot. Overall, it’s been the best experience I could ask for!”

“Through the course of last year, it became more and more natural to communicate openly and exchange ideas with one another,” Nina said. “It was a really fun experience and I am so excited to not only be a part of it again this year, but also make a space for more people to have opportunities like I did last year.”
 
For club leaders like Berry, Janike and Foy, their top goal is helping students realize they are valued, respected and cherished at school. That knowledge can help them form a large number of positive memories at LPS.
 
“I hope students learn they belong here and that we care about them as a whole child,” Berry said. “Their interests and passions are important.”
 
Interested in getting involved? LPS students and families can learn more about club activities by contacting their schools. Check out our school directory to get in touch with your school’s main office, or use the blue Contact Us button on your school’s website.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Posted on September 25, 2024

Student News Desk: Southwest Hive Helpers plant positive experiences for school and community

Written by Grace Farley, Southwest High

Every Thursday at 3:15 p.m., the Lincoln Southwest (LSW) Hive Helpers meet in room A105. Open to everyone year round, the club is headed by LSW senior Lillian Bittle, who has been in it since her freshman year.

“I joined my freshman year because of my dad, who sponsors the club, and I liked it,” Bittle said.  “Then, sophomore year, I took over, and I think we’ve grown a lot. We have been able to build a leadership team with three other people.”

The other leadership in Hive Helpers are seniors Charlie Rader, Elizabeth Napolitano, and Katie Timmer. Collecting produce in the fall, the club puts their produce to use to help both the school and the community.

“We grow all kinds of produce for different culinary classes,” senior Elizabeth Napolitano said. “We grow tomatoes, herbs, peppers and strawberries. We grew watermelon last summer and we are looking at growing pumpkins this fall.”

At the school, there are different gardens that the team works around the year to grow items in their numerous places. Items range in things grown from fruits and vegetables to wildflowers for crafts and to improve pollination.

“We have our pollinator node and it has native plants,” Napolitano said. “Then we have our culinary garden, which is for culinary classes. And we have our hydroponic garden, which is basically a dirtless garden with water running down it all the time from a tower inside.”

In order to raise money to fund the club, Hive Helpers attend the LSW Craft Fair, hosted by the theatre department and sell things that they make during their meetings. Ranging from small crafts to large ones, they are up for purchase at the LSW craft fair.

“We’ve made chapstick, wildflower seed bookmarks, and bracelets,” Bittle said. “It’s all pretty cheap, but you can always find our booth, and you can help support us and gardens.”

Check out this story and more at Southwest’s online publication: https://lswhawk.com/

Posted on September 25, 2024